Jayson Tatum admits he once believed Kyrie Irving might be the best player he’s ever seen – Sportsrush

Kyrie Irving’s two-year stint with the Celtics is largely remembered as a huge disappointment, and relations between the guard and the franchise and its fans remain sour. However, for a short time he was so spectacular in Boston that Jayson Tatum believed him to be the best player in the history of the league.

During an appearance at Jeff Teague’s 520 Club podcast, Tatum recalled being blown away by Irving’s skills and impact in his early days as a Celtic. The forward, who was a rookie during the eight-time All-Star’s debut season in Boston, recalled how the former Cavaliers superstar put the team on his back after Gordon Hayward suffered a brutal leg fracture early in the season. Tatum told Teague,

“We lost our first two games. Gordon was hurt, the night of the premiere, it was like tragic. We lost to Cleveland, we played back-to-back, we lost to Milwaukee. I thought this was going to be a tough year. We won 16 games in a row and then I was like Kyrie is maybe the best player I’ve ever seen.”

Irving averaged 24.1 points, 4.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game in November 2017, allaying concerns about the Celtics’ season slipping following Hayward’s injury. He led them to a 46-21 record before suffering a season-ending left knee injury in March 2018.

Despite the guard’s absence, Boston finished as the second seed and made a miraculous run to the conference finals, where they lost 4-3 to LeBron James and the Cavaliers. The following season was a disappointment as they finished fourth in the standings and were eliminated by the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.

Irving signed with the Nets as a free agent, much to the dismay of Celtics fans. While the guard and the Boston faithful continue to be at odds, Tatum harbors no ill feelings toward his former teammate.

There is mutual respect between Jayson Tatum and Kyrie Irving

Despite Celtics fans’ disdain for Irving after his disappointing stint in Boston, the forward cherishes the short time he spent with the veteran. Before facing his former teammate and new team the Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals, the Celtics forward told reporters,

“iI feel like it was a long time ago, but I have a lot of great memories of Kai as a teammate“

Irving also spoke highly of Tatum and Jaylen Brown and said he was proud to have played a small role in their development into superstars. he said

“They have improved tremendously. I mean they’ve done a few all-star games since I left, ECF, MVP. So I’m nothing but proud of these guys for what they’ve been able to do. I left them with a lot of wisdom, try to give as much advice as you can while I was there.’

While there is no love lost between the guard and Celtics fans, there is plenty of admiration between him and Tatum.