winger for the Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum won the Kobe Bryant MVP Award for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game after guiding Team Giannis to a 184-175 victory over Team LeBron at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Sunday night. The former Duke Blue Devils standout broke the All-standout Game scoring record with 55 points, shattering the previous mark of 52.
Tatum, the No. 3 overall choice in the 2017 NBA Draft, is especially moved by the prize because he grew up idolizing Bryant. Tatum was named to his fourth straight All-Star team.
“Yeah, it’s extremely special for me,” Tatum admitted. “My first All-Star Game was in 2020 in Chicago, when the MVP was renamed after him.” That day, I told myself, “I’ve got to get one of those before I finish.” It’s a fantastic day to be able to wear my iconic sneaker today, break the record, and take home this honor from someone I idolized.”
ON WHETHER HE KNEW THE RECORD WAS 52 AND WHETHER HE WAS INSPIRED TO BREAK IT
“Extremely special. Three of the four times I’ve been an All-Star was with a teammate, two with JB, one with Kemba (Walker). Those are the best All-Stars, to share it with somebody that you spend every day of the week with essentially. Extremely happy for him. We talked about it. Now it’s go time. We have to be on the same page. We’ve got to have one common goal, and that’s to win a championship. This was a good break for us mentally and physically, but it’s time to get back to work.”
ON PLAYING WITH CONFERENCE RIVALS IN THE ALL-STAR GAME
“It’s easy. This weekend is supposed to be fun. This is supposed to recognize guys for how well they’ve played in the first half of the season. It’s a huge honor to be here, not only for yourself, but for your family and friends, all the NBA legends that came before you. It’s supposed to be fun. It’s a lot of fun. But now it’s time to get back to work.”
ON WHERE HE IS IN HIS CAREER AND IF HE HAS TIME TO REFLECT”I guess I’m no longer 19, but yeah.” It’s something I say all the time. I consider myself really fortunate and glad to be in this circumstance. I’m not far from being a kid in St. Louis with a ball and a dream, fantasizing of these moments of being here. And living that ideal in reality is difficult to express. I make an effort not to dwell on my accomplishments. I never want to become comfortable. I’m always on the lookout for anything new to pursue. But I thank God every day for putting me in this situation and surrounding me with wonderful friends and family.
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