The Boston Celtics aren't exactly the league-crushing machine that they were a year ago, but they are still cruising through the regular season and are right on pace for a high seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Jayson Tatum has been the biggest reason why the Celtics are one of the best teams in the NBA again in 2024-25. Ahead of his 27th birthday on Monday, Tatum joined LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to notch 13,000 career points and 4,000 rebounds before turning 27.

That company is a huge marker of the complete player that Tatum has become during his time with the Celtics. He came into the league as an elite scorer, but his ability to rebound and make the game easier for his teammates has made him one of the best players in the league.

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Tatum's skills were on full display on Friday night when he dropped 30 points in the first half and 46 in total in a loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He doesn't have the same scoring touch on Sunday against the Nuggets, but he is still on triple-double watch as he continues to impact the game in multiple ways.

If Tatum can keep this level of play up, the Celtics will be very difficult to beat in the playoffs and will be a top contender to repeat as champions. The rest of the field is much stronger in the East this season, specifically the Cavaliers and the New York Knicks, but the Celtics have every right to consider themselves as the favorites if healthy considering their experience and talent.

Of course, James and Chamberlain went on to have two of the best careers in the history of basketball, so Tatum will be thrilled to be put in the same company as those two. If he can keep that level of production up throughout the rest of his career, Tatum will surely continue to make history.