"I think he’s passed LeBron" - Celtics legend claims Jayson Tatum can clinch best American NBA player title by outshining one legend

Paul Pierce recently made a bold statement, proclaiming Jayson Tatum as the best American-born player over LeBron James. However, he said the Boston Celtics star needs to surpass another legend to officially capture the crown

In a recent episode of Pierce and Kevin Garnett’s “The Ticket and the Truth” podcast, the two former NBA players discussed who they believed was the best American player in the NBA and talked about Pierce’s tweet on Nov. 14 about how he thought Jayson Tatum was the best American player in the league right now.

“Right now the best American in the league is Jayson Tatum and this is not you know, right now. I mean you look at his growth, you see what he has done over the past couple of years,” Pierce said in the podcast.

“He has been first-team All-NBA, hit you with the 55 in the All-Star, hit you with another 50 Game 7 versus Philly and I am just looking around, I think he is past KD, I think he’s passed LeBron. I mean today, you know what I am saying?”

Watch their discussion at the 25:52 mark:

Paul said the only argument against Tatum is Stephen Curry.

“I think the only argument you really got maybe is, maybe Steph, as far as the American players today. But outside of that, I think he is past the other guys, so when I say that, I really believe he is the best American player,” Pierce said.

Tatum is averaging 26.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists for the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics (11-3) this season.

Meanwhile, Stephen Curry leads the 7-8 Warriors with 30.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, while LeBron James leads the 8-6 Lakers with 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game.

Jayson Tatum says Boston Celtics need to regroup

The Boston Celtics blew a nine-point lead with two minutes left against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, snapping their six-game win streak.

Jayson Tatum scored 45 points in the game but missed a free throw with 5.2 seconds left that would have tied the game after being fouled on a 3-point shot.

After the game, in which the Celtics led by as much as 18 points, Tatum said the team needs to avoid complacency.

"We've got to regroup," he said. "We've won six or seven games in a row, and it may be easy to get complacent, and we paid for it tonight."

Up next for the Celtics are the 10-4 Milwaukee Bucks, who are No. 3 in the Eastern Conference.