A Memorable Meeting: Jayson Tatum’s First Encounter with Celtics Legend Larry Bird. In a surprising turn of events, Jayson Tatum, who has been a member of the Boston Celtics for seven years, recently had his first meeting with one of the greatest players in the franchise’s history, Larry Bird. The encounter took place before the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, and Tatum couldn’t contain his excitement.

During an interview with TNT’s Jamal Crawford, Tatum expressed his enthusiasm, stating that he had some “juices flowing” after meeting Larry Bird for the first time. He admitted, “I ain’t going to lie, I met Larry Bird tonight for the first time. I’ve never met Larry Bird in my life. I got to meet him and I was anxiоus, so I got some juices flowing for the game right now.”

The two basketball stars then took a picture together before Tatum took to the court for the main event of All-Star Weekend.

It’s remarkable that Tatum and Bird had never crossed paths before. Tatum was selected by the Celtics as the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and has since become one of the league’s brightest stars. With five All-Star selections and three All-NBA selections under his belt, he has led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2022 and even earned the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, an honor named after Larry Bird. Tatum was the inaugural recipient of this prestigious accolade.

Reflecting on his achievement, Tatum expressed his gratitude and the surreal feeling of following in Bird’s footsteps, saying, “I still feel like a kid at times that I’m truly living out my dream. I thank God every day just to be in this position to be able to do that. To be the first person to win this award, obviously after Larry Bird, it still hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m going to take it home and show [my son] Deuce [Monday] and enjoy it.”

Larry Bird, widely regarded as one of the greatest Celtics players of all time, spent his entire 13-year career with the franchise, amassing impressive statistics and achievements. With averages of 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game, he earned 12 All-Star selections, 10 All-NBA selections, three MVP awards, three championships, and two Finals MVP awards.

Although Bird has primarily been associated with the Indiana Pacers in his post-playing career, serving in various roles such as an advisor and consultant, his ties to Indiana run even deeper. He was born in West Baden Springs and attended Indiana State University.

The long-awaited meeting between Jayson Tatum and Larry Bird highlights the mutual respect and admiration between generations of Celtics players. It serves as a significant moment in Tatum’s career and adds to the storied history of the Boston Celtics franchise.