On Tuesday, Celtics three-time All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum was named the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for October/November - marking the third consecutive season the 26-year-old has won the first Player of the Month award of the season.
This is the fifth time in his career Tatum has won the monthly honor, tying him for second-most in Celtics history (Larry Bird leads the way with seven).
Through the first six weeks of the 2024-25 season, Tatum is the only player in the Eastern Conference to average at least 28 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal per game.
According to a press release from the team, Tatum has scored the third-most points in the conference with 546, and ranks first in clutch points (46), tied for first in clutch assists (12), third in total three-pointers made (76), and second in plus/minus per game (10.5).
Most importantly, Tatum helped lead the Celtics to a 16-3 record over that span.
They now sit at 17-4, good for the second-best record in both the Eastern Conference and the NBA overall.
The five-time All-Star is averaging at least 25 points per game in his fifth-straight season, and is on pace to become only the second player in NBA history to lead their team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and three-point field goals in multiple seasons.
The only other name on that list?
Bird.
One thing Bird did three times in his career that Tatum has yet to do is win the NBA MVP Award, something the Duke product has spoken openly about pursuing.
“As a kid, you set a lot of goals for yourself,” Tatum told reporters after his team’s 122-102 win in Washington on October 24. “I’ve been very fortunate enough to check off a lot of boxes of things that I wanted to accomplish, things that my favorite players accomplished.
“Saying that MVP is important to me is not in a way taking away from the success of our team. Every guy that’s ever won MVP has been on a championship-contending team. If you’re an MVP, you’re dominating, you’re efficient, you’re playing the right way, and you’re impacting winning.”
Tatum’s dominant first month-and-a-half combined with his team’s spectacular record is a great way to start building that 2024-25 NBA MVP resume.
BetMGM currently lists Tatum third in MVP odds (+475). Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is currently in the pole position (+175), with Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in second (+375).