"Messi would be proud of Tatum": Fans shocked as Jayson Tatum escapes kickball violation with stunning self-assisted play

Sometimes, the most entertaining moments in the NBA happen by accident — and that’s exactly what occurred when Jayson Tatum unintentionally pulled off a soccer-style move in the first quarter of the Boston Celtics’ 121-99 win over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

After coming up with a steal, Tatum led a two-on-two fastbreak and attempted a behind-the-back dribble to shake off his defender. But as the second defender poked the ball loose, it bounced off Tatum’s heel and ricocheted right back to him, turning into a wild soccer-like self-assist that left him wide open for an easy layup.

Fans were blown away by the sequence, with some even saying Jayson Tatum would’ve made Lionel Messi proud.

“Messi would be proud of Tatum,” Underdog NBA wrote.

“This some street ball type of nonsense. 🤣🤣🤣 crazy,” another said.

“I still have no clue what happened after watching it 7-8 times,” another commented.

Others questioned if the play should’ve been called a kickball.

“That’s fire but is it legal lmao?” one wondered.

“Wow seen a lot of basketball but never seen someone heel-kick their way to a basket! Tatum might be a top 5 SF when it’s all said & done,” another said.

“Not gon lie this a crazy basketball play but next year they will implement offensive kick ball,” another added.

According to NBA rules, a kickball violation only occurs when done on purpose. The official rule states:

“Kicking the ball or striking it with any part of the leg is a violation when it is an intentional act. The ball accidentally striking the foot, the leg or fist is not a violation.”

Jayson Tatum stuffs the stat sheet in win over Jazz

The Celtics pushed their record to 51-19 as they rolled to their fourth straight victory, cruising past the Jazz by 22 on Friday night. Jayson Tatum filled the stat sheet with 26 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals.

His plus-18 rating in 33 minutes and 28 seconds of action led all starters.

Kristaps Porzingis also had a big night, finishing with 27 points, 10 boards and six assists, while Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser contributed 18 and 14 points off the bench, each knocking down four 3-pointers.

Their collective effort overshadowed Jazz guard Collin Sexton’s 30-point outburst and gave Boston strong momentum to start their six-game Western Conference road trip. Next up, the Celtics face the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings on back-to-back nights, Sunday and Monday.