ST. LOUIS — From the Eastern Conference Finals MVP to the All Star Game MVP, St. Louis' own Jayson Tatum has taken off as one of the best players in the NBA this year.
He turns 25 on Friday, March 3, and he's already making his case for the best basketball player to ever come out of St. Louis.
Here are some of the top accomplishments from the last year for the Boston Celtics star.
2022 playoff run
As the young star of the historic Celtics franchise, Tatum helped the team to one of its deepest runs in a decade.
After helping the team to the second-best record in the eastern conference, his buzzer-beating layup lifted the Celtics to a Game 1 win over the Brooklyn Nets in the first round.
Tatum averaged 29.5 points and 7.3 assists in that first-round series, which ended in a four-game sweep of the Nets.
In the second round, Tatum helped the Celtics knock out the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks in a thrilling seven-game series.
In Game 6, Tatum scored 46 points and made seven three-pointers to keep the Celtics' season alive. A Game 7 blowout sent the Celtics into the Eastern Conference Finals.
After falling behind in the series 1-0, and 2-1, Tatum helped lead the Celtics to three wins in the final four games of the series against the Miami Heat.
Tatum scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the winner-take-all Game 7 as the Celtics topped the Heat 100-96.
Tatum was awarded the first-ever Larry Bird Trophy, an award the NBA created in 2022 to honor the Eastern Conference Finals' most valuable player.
In his first trip to the NBA Finals, Tatum averaged 21.5 points, seven assists and 6.8 rebounds, but the Celtics came up short. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games.
Tatum led all players in scoring and assists in the playoffs, thanks in part to playing in multiple seven-game series across the playoffs.
2023 All-Star Game MVP
After putting up more than 30 points per game in the first half of the season, Tatum was voted an all-star for the fourth time in his young career.
He was the first starter selected by Giannis Antetokounmpo in the league's schoolyard pick setup and caught fire in the second half to lead his team to victory.
Tatum scored an All-Star Game record 55 points, including 45 in the second half. He connected on 22 of his 31 shots and took home the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP award.
Tatum was joined by his son Deuce to accept the award and said he was honored to hold the game's scoring record.
"It means the world, you look at all the great players that have played this game," Tatum said. "In all honesty, records are meant to be broken, so I'll hold it for as long as I can, but I'm certain somebody will come along in a couple of years and try and break it."
Signature shoe
On the same day he hoisted the All-Star Game MVP, Tatum announced another career milestone: the reveal of his first signature shoe.
The Tatum 1 is the first signature shoe since he signed with Jordan Brand in 2019.
Tatum revealed the shoe's design in an adorable way, with his son Deuce on Instagram.
The shoe draws inspiration from his St. Louis upbringing with two of the colorways in particular. The "St. Louis" colorway has hints of red and baby blue to pay homage to the Cardinals, and the "Zoo" colorway celebrates his favorite place to take his son.
Tatum said he wants the shoes to be accessible for kids, so the children's sizes have a collapsible heel so they are easier to get on and off.
“I remember being a kid, walking into the store, and looking for the signature shoes of my favorite players. The moment I saw the shoe or put the shoe on, I felt like I was in sync and closer to them in a way. So, I want this shoe to be a bridge between my fans and me to bring us closer together,” Tatum said in the announcement.
A signature shoe in the NBA is often reserved for the best of the best, and some current stars with signature shoes include Lebron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Damian Lillard.
Tatum's signature shoe drops in April.
