Only Jayson Tatum truly knows how much his limited role on Team USA affected him. But if the Celtics star entered this season with a goal of proving Steve Kerr wrong for making him a bit player at the 2024 Summer Olympics,

St. Louis native leading the early 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player race. With Tatum on fire to start the Celtics' current regular season campaign, the conventional wisdom that Tatum could be a serious MVP contender is looking a lot less reliable.

ATLANTA (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 26 of his 28 points in the first half, and the Boston Celtics routed the Atlanta Hawks 123-93 on Monday night for their third straight win. Tatum also had nine assists and six rebounds and did not play in the fourth quarter with the Celtics comfortably in front.