Jayson Tatum has one of the greatest coaches of all-time in his corner.
After Team USA's practice Thursday, Gregg Popovich showered the young All-Star with praise. The future Hall of Famer lasted coached Tatum during the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
"During that camp [in 2019] and from that time to now, under Brad's tutelage, he's become more of a two-way player," Popovich said, per CBS Boston. "He's way more confident, he's developed more skills, and on top of that, he's more aggressive and he knows he can dominate people. He's much different going into this situation than before."
Popovich has witnessed Tatum's emergence first-hand. He dropped a career-high 60 points against the Spurs last April, one of his many eye-popping performances towards the end of the season. Tatum, 23, averaged 28.7 points per game during April and May.
With a spot on Team USA, Tatum is poised to experience a star turn later this summer. He'll be playing alongside some of the biggest superstars in the game, including Kevin Durant, who lauded Tatum's play following Boston's playoff loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
"He's that elite level of player already at 23," Durant said. "It was an honor to play against him."
Having Durant and Popovich in your corner isn't too shabby. Now the question is, will Tatum continue to blossom in Boston, or one day request to complete his ascension elsewhere?
The Tokyo Games promise to be a seminal moment in his young career. That's for sure.
