Jayson Tatum joined an elite group Monday night.
During the Celtics’ 147-129 beatdown at Miami, Tatum recorded an astonishing 25 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. It was his first triple-double since he returned from a ruptured Achilles tendon on March 6. His impressive stat line was the second time he accomplished such a feat, granting him access to an exclusive club of Celtics who have reached a 25-15-10 stat line multiple times. He joined Larry Bird and Dave Cowens as the only three Celtics to post that mark in multiple games in franchise history, according to the team.
Cowens won two NBA titles (1974 and 1976) in Boston while winning the NBA MVP in 1973. His No. 18 was retired by the organization to commemorate his 10-year Celtic career, which included per-game averages of 17.6 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists over his 11 NBA seasons.
Bird joined the Celtics shortly after Cowens’ tenure, greatly contributing to three championships over his 13 seasons during one of the organization’s most successful eras. He won three consecutive NBA MVP awards, one of three players — and the last in NBA history to do so — in NBA history. Bird finished his career with 24.3 points, 10 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
Tatum, who is 28 years old and still in the prime of his career, has career averages of 23.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He does not have an NBA MVP and has won one of his two NBA Finals appearances.
That could change for Tatum, as the Celtics are considered title contenders ahead of the 2026 NBA postseason. There is plenty of runway for him to continue to add to his resume, as he is in his ninth season with the team. If Tatum stays in Boston and accepts his player option with the team in 2030, he will have been with the team for 13 seasons. That is one more than Bird and three more than Cowens.
Boston had a historic offensive performance against the Heat, scoring an organization record 53 first-quarter points. It is tied for the second-most points scored in the first 12 minutes of a game in league history and second-most points scored in a quarter by the team, according to the Associated Press.