Salt Lake City /
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was named for the first time as Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Game of the Stars after a display of 55 points, the scoring record in the history of this exhibition game.
“It means a lot if you think about the legends that have played thisTatum said as he accepted the MVP trophy, which is named after the late Kobe Bryant.
“Honestly, records are made to be broken. So I’ll keep it as long as I can, but i’m sure someone will come along in a couple of years to try to break it“said the star of the current NBA runners-up.
Tatum, who made 10 of 18 three-pointers and grabbed 10 rebounds, led the team led by Giannis Antetokoummpo to a 184-175 win against LeBron James at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.
The forward went into combustion in the third quarter with 27 points, the most for a quarter in the 72 editions of the All-Starand took advantage of the usual defensive passivity in this game to keep scoring until he achieved the record.
“I saw that the first three (triple) entered and I kept shooting,” he explained.
In his fourth All-Star at age 24, a mark that no player from the mythical Celtics had achieved, Tatum succeeded Stephen Curry in the MVP listwho achieved 50 points and 16 triples last year.
Tatum, who is averaging 30.6 points per game this season, led the Celtics until the last NBA Finals in which they lost to Curry’s Golden State Warriors, absent from this All-Star due to injury.
Last Five All Stars MVP Winners
- 2023 – Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
- 2022 – Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors)
- 2021 – Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
- 2020 – Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers)
- 2019 – Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)
