Jayson Tatum Names Three Legends Who Are "Cemented" In His Top 5

As a child of the 2000s, Jayson Tatum grew up watching some iconic superstars in the NBA. He has also studied the legends that established their legacy before he was even born, and now, the Boston Celtics star has made up his mind on three all-time greats in his personal Mount Rushmore.

In an appearance on the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast, Tatum identified these three players and even took a shot at anyone who happened to disagree with his assessment.

“I will say, anybody that don’t have Mike [Michael Jordan], Bron [LeBron James] and Kobe [Bryant] in their top five, I really have a hard time listening to,” Tatum said on the podcast. “Them three are cemented in.”

To Tatum’s credit, the trio that he named happens to be frequently included in GOAT discussions among fans and pundits of the game. Even more notably, Tatum happens to have a special relationship with all three of these basketball greats.

For one, the one-time NBA champion has a close personal bond with James. The two were teammates on the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, and they’ve also been spotted at events like Draymond Green’s wedding.

Though Tatum never got the chance to play against Bryant in the NBA, he credits the Lakers legend for cultivating his love for the sport of basketball. In 2021, Tatum got a Mamba-inspired tattoo on his left knee to pay tribute to Bryant, who had died in a helicopter crash the year before.

Then, there’s also the fact that Tatum is a Jordan Brand endorser. First signing with the brand in 2019, the six-time All-Star launched his first signature shoe in 2023. In an interview with People magazine earlier this year, Tatum revealed that Jordan is named “Uncle Mike” on his mobile phone’s address book. According to Tatum, he’s had multiple in-depth conversations with the Bulls legend.

Through the years, hoops fans have advocated other names (such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell) to be featured more prominently in the GOAT debate. Though Tatum said in his podcast appearance that “number four and number five are interchangeable,” he remains adamant when it comes to the three names.

To the rest of the basketball world, these are Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan. To Tatum, though, they’re better known as his buddy, his first idol, and his adopted uncle.