Kyrie Irving may be heading to the sixth All-Star game of his career, but if his Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum had a say, he would have easily been the first pick in this years NBA All-Star Draft.
During the media portion for todays Rising Stars game, Tatum was asked about who he would have picked first in the All-Star Draft if he were a captain. Tatum was quick to respond, saying that it would Kyrie easily. “He’s the best player in the All-Star Game this year.” Tatum said, heaping some high praise onto his teammate.
Jayson Tatum says he would’ve drafted Kyrie No. 1 because “he’s the best player in the All-Star Game this year" pic.twitter.com/CGm6352N1H
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 15, 2019
While Tatum may have a case for his statement, the All-Star Game is pretty crowded when it comes to talent. Not only are stars like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and James Harden in the mix, but LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo also make up the captains of the team. Even though Tatum likely meant what he said, this might just be a case of him trying to sweet talk a teammate more than anything else.
Tatum won’t be making his All-Star Game debut this year, but will be in the All-Star Game’s Rising Stars Challenge tonight, playing for a Team USA that is being coached by Irving himself. He’ll be taking on the World Team, which is stacked with talent and the likes of Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton, Ben Simmons, and more.
Tatum will also be taking part in the Skills Challenge on Saturday, which is often reserved for young players who are poised to take over in the league in the future.
For the season, Tatum is averaging 16.5 points, and 6.3 rebounds as he helps the Boston Celtics try to climb back into the top three of the Eastern Conference.
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