'Now We're Competing,' Paolo Banchero Throws Friendship With Celtics' Jayson Tatum Aside

The Boston Celtics are taking on the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs. The matchup was solidified after the Magic took down the Hawks in the Play-In game.

Orlando has had a lot of injuries this season, so they have had to re-tool the team on the fly. Boston has had injuries too, but they have more depth to deal with those than Orlando has.

Paolo Banchero had an injury early in the season as well, so he's finally starting to get back to playing his best basketball. Jayson Tatum is in a similar boat with his ankle injury.

Tatum and Banchero are good friends. Both of them went to Duke and played for Coach K, so they have a deep connection because of that.

Despite their friendship, both of them are going to try their hardest to beat the other. Banchero is throwing the friendship aside in the pursuit of an upset.

Paolo Banchero on facing Jayson Tatum in the playoffs:

“I've known Jayson since I was going into college — But you know, obviously now we're competing and I think, the best way for me to show my respect is to give him my best effort and go at him as much as I can.“ pic.twitter.com/U87OkJKvi4
— Brett James (@thebrettjames1) April 16, 2025

"I've known Jayson since I went to college. I see him every summer, so a guy I'm very familiar with. One of the guys that I go to for advice and stuff like that. But, obviously, now we're competing. The best way for me to show my respect is to give him my best effort and go at him as much as I can."

Tatum is certainly going to take on the challenge of keeping Banchero at bay. He will likely guard him often, along with Jaylen Brown.

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Tatum likely feels the exact same way as Banchero. Even though they are really good friends, these two are competitors. They are going to go at each other with everything they can.

The Celtics are heavy favorites over the Magic in this series. As the defending NBA champion, they will be favored against everyone they play in the East, except the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the regular season, Bancheron averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He shot 45.2 percent from the field and 32 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and six assists per game. He shot 45.2 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three.

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