Inside The Celtics

Jayson Tatum Earns NBA All-Star Game MVP in a Historical Performance: 'It Means the World'

Jayson Tatum is the eighth Celtic to earn NBA All-Star Game MVP honors.

Bobby Krivitsky

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Jayson Tatum rewrote the NBA All-Star Game record books Sunday night in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The four-time All-Star put himself in the mix for the Kobe Bryant MVP Award early, registering 13 points in the first frame. 

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And on the day he unveiled his first signature sneaker, the Jordan Tatum 1's, he switched colorways at halftime, going from the pink lemonade version to the Jordan Tatum 1 Zoo, the latter inspired by his son Deuce's love of animals. With those on his feet, he drilled five-straight threes and erupted for 27 in the third quarter, setting a new NBA All-Star Game record.

Tatum finished with 55 points, the most ever in an NBA All-Star Game, going 22/31 from the field, including 10/18 on threes. He also stuffed the stat sheet with a team-high ten rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block, leading Team Giannis, coached by Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics' coaching staff to victory.

After the 184-175 win over Team LeBron, who Jaylen Brown paced with 35 points, the 2023 NBA All-Star Game MVP said of scoring the most points in the event's history, "it means the world. You think of all the legends and great players that's played in this game, and 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 years and try to break it."

Regarding taking home hardware named after the player he grew up idolizing, Kobe Bryant, Tatum, the eighth Celtic to earn NBA All-Star Game MVP honors, expressed the following. 

"It's extremely special for me," conveyed Tatum. "My first All-Star Game was in Chicago in 2020 when they renamed the MVP after him, and I remember telling myself that day, 'I've got to get one of those before I get done.' And to be able to wear my signature shoe today, and (to) break the record, and take home this award of somebody that I idolized, it's a helluva day."

Indeed, Sunday was unforgettable for Tatum, who it wasn't long ago that he was a kid in St. Louis with a ball and a dream.

Further Reading

Jayson Tatum Sets New NBA All-Star Game Scoring Record, Earns MVP, and Jaylen Brown Paces Team LeBron with 35 Points, as Team Giannis Takes Home the Win

Jayson Tatum Unveils Jordan Tatum 1's

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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