Boston Celtics center Tristan Thompson hasn't been teammates with his good friend LeBron James for quite a while now. Still, he gets reminded every day about The King's workhorse ethic each time he sees Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown duke it out in practice.
Ahead of the highly anticipated clash between rivals Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, Thompson shared how impressed he is with the two J's non-stop efforts to continue getting better, per NBC Boston's Chris Forsberg.
“Just the work ethic. A lot of talented players that I've been across with, and they definitely work on another level. Reminds me a lot of LeBron and Kyrie. They put the time and effort in. What you put into the game it comes back,” the Celtics big man shared.
Here's the full interview.
"A lot of talented players that I’ve been around, they definitely work on their game, but these guys work on another level."
Tristan Thompson details the LeBron-like work ethic of the Jays.
Pregame Live with @tvabby is on RIGHT NOW on @NBCSBoston getting you set for C's-Lakers. pic.twitter.com/2UjgzriUEx
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) January 31, 2021
Prior to Saturday's game, Tristan Thompson and the Celtics are ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 10-7 slate. They have emerged as perennial contenders in recent years, thanks in large part to their terrific swingmen tandem.
Jayson Tatum has become a bona fide star last season and has gotten even better for head coach Brad Stevens this year. After missing five straight games due to the league's health and safety protocols, the former Duke standout hasn't lost a beat in Boston's last two games against the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs.
Tatum is notching career-highs of 26.5 points on 47.1 percent shooting from the field and 42.7 from deep, along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 12 games so far.
The Celtics, meanwhile, were able to hold the fort in Tatum's absence because Jaylen Brown stepped up to the plate. The 24-year-old scorer is expected to make his first All-Star team this season, following averages of 27.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 17 contests. He has become a much efficient player in his fifth season, making 52.2 percent of his field goals and 44.1 percent of his threes in 17 games.
Thompson, for his part, definitely appreciates the value of hard work. As far he is concerned, Tatum and Brown are just simply reaping the fruits of their labor.
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