Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce debated who they thought was the best American player in the NBA right now on a recent episode of their collaborative podcast The Ticket and the Truth. On November 14, Pierce tweeted that he thought Jayson Tatum was the best American player in the league right now. When pressed to clarify his point of view during the broadcast, Pierce focused on the 25-year-old’s recent improvement in the league.

The Boston Celtics legend also spoke about his 55-point All-Star game and 51-point performance in Game 7 of last season’s Eastern Conference Semifinals. That, paired with Tatum’s four consecutive All-Star selections, allowed Pierce to temporarily surpass Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

“Right now, the best American in the league is Jayson Tatum, and you know, this is not right now.” “I mean, look at his growth, what he’s done in the last couple of years,” he said.

“He’s been first-team All-NBA, hit you with the 55 in the All-Star Game, hit you with another 50 in Game 7 vs Philly, and I’m just looking around, I think he’s passed KD, I think he’s passed LeBron.” I’m talking about today, you know what I mean?” He continued to emphasize his argument.

Pierce claimed, with Garnett’s approval, that the only argument people could use against Tatum was Stephen Curry. The Warriors’ great, 35, is the only American player on the same level as Jayson Tatum. “As far as the American players today, I think the only argument you really have is, maybe Steph.” Aside from that, I believe he is superior to the other players, and I firmly believe he is the finest American player,” Pierce concluded.

Given that he was seen tutoring Tatum in the summer, the Celtics’ star could be influenced by partiality. Aside from that, Pierce has a special place for the Boston Celtics, his former team.

Pierce went on to explain how he knew Nikola Jokic was the best player in the NBA at the time, which the Serbian has demonstrated again in recent seasons. However, in terms of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, Jayson Tatum is the best American player. The latter even indicated that he feels Tatum would win MVP honors again this season.

Jayson Tatum is one of the NBA’s most recognizable players.

The Boston Celtics have put their complete trust in their young All-Star duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, with excellent results. They have consistently been the best team in the Eastern Conference, only losing in the Finals to the Warriors in 2021-22.

Tatum has been on the rise since joining the league, earning All-NBA First Team honors for the past two seasons. Tatum, who has led his team to the Finals once, is clearly hoping to go all the way with the Celtics in the near future, which will likely boost his reputation as one of the league’s finest players.

Tatum is a young player who has elevated his skills in recent seasons, as is expected of many other players in the NBA. Despite recent scandals, this list includes young players such as Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Ja Morant. Some may argue that Trae Young, the young American star currently closest to Jayson Tatum, has threatened to become the NBA’s face and may do so in the coming years.