Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum experienced another first in his young career as he went up against Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant for the first time. According to the rookie, it was Durant’s height which stood out most for him since it wasn’t quite what he was expecting.
Jayson Tatum's first impression of Kevin Durant" "It’s tough. He’s taller than 6-9, that’s what I was thinking."
— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) November 17, 2017
It’s clear for anyone with two working eyes to see that Durant is nowhere near the 6-foot-9 height which he’s listed as. Tatum is a legit 6-foot-8 and Durant simply towers over him. If Durant isn’t over seven feet tall, he’s very close to it.
Tatum had some trouble contending with Durant’s length, as well as the Warriors’ play as a whole. He was a team-worst minus-18 against the Warriors as he had one of the more ineffective games of his young career. However, he was still able to have his moments at the end as he finished with 12 points and four rebounds.
Tatum’s struggles are completely understandable, though. Even for someone who has played as well as he has done as a rookie, it’s likely still pretty jarring to play against normal-sized college kids one year to facing off against physical freaks like Durant the next.
Nevertheless, it should be a good learning experience for Tatum, who should look to come back much stronger in his next meeting with Durant and the Warriors.
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