Jayson Tatum becomes first ever to win Larry Bird Conference Finals Trophy

Following the Boston Celtics series victory over Miami, Jayson Tatum became the first recipient of the Larry Bird trophy, given to the Most Valuable Player of the Eastern Conference finals.

Tatum finished with 26 points on Sunday’s Game 7 to lead the Celtics to a 100-96 victory over the Heat. The Duke product also added 10 rebounds and six assists to an all-around performance.

Tatum averaged 25.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.1 steals over seven games vs the Heat to lead Boston to its first Finals appearance since 2010. The Celtics made the ECF two more times in the last five years, but this is the first to get over the hump.

Tatum was a rookie in their first try as the Celtics fell to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2017. The second time was against the Miami Heat, who beat them in 2020 to advance to the Orlando “bubble” Finals.

The 24-year-old becomes the first honoree of the trophy since the league announced it earlier in May. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry won the first Magic Johnson Trophy, give to the Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference Finals.

Tatum and the Celtics will look to claim the franchise’s first championship since 2008 against Curry and the Warriors. Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals takes place in San Francisco on Thursday night.

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