The legendary Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics has clearly liked what he’s seen from Jayson Tatum so far this 2023–24 season.

Paul Pierce: Jayson Tatum on pace to become greatest Celtics player - CelticsBlog

Tatum has looked like one of the best players in the league this season. On Monday night, he scored 35 points and had seven assists in Boston’s win over the New York Knicks at home. But calling Pierce “one of the best” might not be strong enough for him. He worked out with Tatum this summer.

Jayson Tatum was stoked to have Paul Pierce in the house last night

“Tatum is the best American basketball player in the world,” Pierce wrote on X, which used to be called Twitter, Monday night.

Jayson Tatum working out with Celtics legend during offseason - masslive.com

Tatum has averaged 28.4 points and made 52.6% of his field goal attempts through 10 games this season. That last number would be the best of his career. It’s likely that Tatum will become even more of a contender for NBA MVP if he keeps helping the Celtics win games.

Paul Pierce reveals how he joined Jayson Tatum's 'support system'

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the three-time All-NBA player has the third-shortest chances to win MVP this season.