Jayson Tatum Fittingly Wins First Ever Larry Bird Award

For the first time in twelve years, the Boston Celtics will finally be making their grand return to the NBA Finals (which will be the organization's 22nd Finals appearance overall).

The Celtics were able to overcome the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, thanks in large part to a superstar performance from Jayson Tatum.

Tatum, who was wearing a Kobe Bryant armband in honor of his idol, put on a "Mamba-esque" performance in Game 7.

Jayson Tatum drew inspiration and paid tribute to Kobe Bryant with a 24 armband during Game 7 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/AS1IjjThvq
— NBA (@NBA) May 30, 2022

The Celtics forward scored 26 points, dished out 6 assists, and collected 10 rebounds, en route to a 100-96 series-clinching victory for Boston.

During the post-game ceremony, Tatum was announced as the first ever winner of the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy, which is an award given to the most valuable player in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Because Larry Bird is one of the greatest Celtics players ever in the organization's illustrious history, it just feels right that Tatum would be the first recipient of the award, and he definitely earned it in this series.

Besides the Game 3 stinker where he could only muster 10 points, Tatum was an absolute beast in every other game in the series, showcasing how far he has come as a player overall.

For the series, Tatum averaged 25 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assist, and was just an overall thorn in the side of the Heat defense. The Celtics star came up clutch time and time again, hitting a multitude of big shots when his team needed him the most, and he definitely delivered.

Tatum (who will be making his first ever Finals appearance) will need to continue his poised and clutch play as he goes up against the Golden State Warriors, a team that has plenty of Finals experience and will be looking to win their fourth NBA Title in eight years.

The Celtics and the Warriors will square off in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday (June 2nd).