Tatum motivated by facing LeBron ahead of Lakers-Celtics clash

Every sport has that one special game... Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona in soccer, the New York Knicks vs LA Dodgers in baseball and when it comes to basketball, games don’t get any bigger than a clash between the two behemoths of the sport as the Los Angeles Lakers face the Boston Celtics on Saturday night in Massachusetts.

Going into the game on Saturday, both teams sit in second place in their respective conferences with both the Lakers and the Celtics on excellent runs of form.

After their win over the Knicks on Thursday night, the Lakers have now won 8 straight games and 20 of their last 24 games with Celtics securing wins in 13 of their last 16 contests this season.

Tatum praises LeBron

Tonight’s game is the first time that a Lakers team featuring LeBron James and Luka Doncic take on the current NBA champions, with the Jayson Tatum - Jaylen Brown duo leading the Massachusetts quintet.

Speaking to the media prior to the matchup, Tatum acknowledged that facing LeBron is a huge motivation, given the trajectory that the ‘King’ has forged over the years in the NBA.

“As much as we talk about LeBron, we probably don’t talk about him enough. Being 40 years old, being in his 22nd season and playing at an All-NBA level is an incredible testament to the level of work he’s put in... It’s a joy to be able to compete against him,” Jayson Tatum said at a press conference.

As if that weren’t enough, Tatum and James are the only two players in NBA history who managed to record 13,000 points, 4,000 rebounds and 2,000 assists before turning 27.

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