LeBron James' Strong Jayson Tatum-Nikola Jokic Statement
During an episode of his new podcast with JJ Redick, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James came to the defense of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Speaking about the expectations Tatum has on him to win a championship, James used himself, Michael Jordan, and Nikola Jokic as examples of players who didn't win their first championships until their late-twenties.
"He's 25 years old, and I believe he's been to the Conference Finals four times, been to the NBA Finals once," James said of Tatum. "He's 25 years [old]. I didn't win my first [championship] until I was 28, I think [Nikola Jokic] won his first one at 27, I think [Michael Jordan] was 28 as well. I think we have a lot of expectations on [Tatum], but he's experienced a lot of winning in his career so far. Obviously everyone wants to see him get over the hump, but four Conference Finals and a Finals appearance before the age of 26 - that's elite."
James makes a strong point, and nobody understands this dynamic better than him. Heavily criticized early in his career for not having a championship, James experienced what Tatum is going through right now, and probably to an even more significant degree.
It was also interesting to hear James use Jokic as a reference, putting the Denver Nuggets star in this discussion next to the two greatest of all-time.
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