After falling to the Celtics 127-112 on Thursday night, Kevin Durant clarified with WEEI that he is not a mentor to Jayson Tatum and explained their relationship.
"Nah, he's just a friend. Somebody that I've been supporting since he was in 11th or 10th grade," Durant said. "I feel like I've always seen this in him, and I'm just here as somebody to support him and compete against him when we're on the floor."
Durant also discussed trading shots with Tatum and said, "I've seen it in gyms with nobody else around, you know. I've seen his shot-making before, so I'm not surprised."
As for if Tatum is on his way to being an all-time great, Durant says, "He is solidifying himself as an all-time great and continues to keep going. You got to put in that time and that work, but he's been in the league for what? Six or seven years now? So he's on his way to being an all-time great, and it's just an honor to play against guys like that."
It's no secret that Tatum has modeled his game after Durant. The similarities are striking, especially when comparing their numbers within the first six years of their careers. This parallel in their playing styles adds an interesting dimension to their relationship.
In his first six years, Durant averaged 26.6 points per game compared to Tatum's 22.5. Durant also averaged 6.8 rebounds per game compared to Tatum's 7. As for assists per game, Durant dished out 3.1 compared to Tatum's 3.3. Durant averaged 1.3 steals per game compared to Tatum's 1.1 and 1 block per game compared to Tatum's 0.7.
As for efficiency, Durtant shot 47.5 percent from the field compared to Tatum's 45.8. Durant shot 37.3 percent from behind the arc compared to Tatum's 37.5. For free throws, Durant shot 88.4 percent from behind the line compared to Tatum's 84.7.
When comparing these stats, we must remember that Durant was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics with the expectation of being the team's #1 offensive option due to the roster's lack of talent.
On the other hand, Tatum was drafted by the Celtics in 2017 with a loaded roster. The team had just brought in Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford to lead. Jaylen Brown was drafted third overall the year before, so Tatum was not required to be the main contributor until Irving decided to leave Boston two seasons later.
As for whether Tatum will follow the same path as Durant, it seems he's already on it.
Whether Durant believes he is a mentor or not, Durant significantly influences Tatum and his career as a young star in the NBA.
At 26 years old, the sky is the limit for Tatum, and the time to emerge as one of the all-time greats begins now.
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