Skip to content

Kyrie Irving extremely high on Celtics' Tatum: 'He's a bad dude'

Celtics/Twitter

It hasn't taken long for Kyrie Irving to bond with new rookie teammate and fellow Duke Blue Devil alumnus Jayson Tatum, who already has the new Boston Celtics guard's seal of approval.

"He's like my big little brother, or little big brother. That dude is so talented and he has a ceiling that sometimes you can't even really see it because - you won't be able to see it all the time because the amount of the respect that he has to earn as a rookie. But talent is through the roof," Irving said of Tatum Thursday night at a kickoff party for the Celtics' new uniforms, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg.

"He works extremely hard, and, of course, having the luxury of going to Duke and understanding what it's like to be on a great team and play with good players, and how much you have to sacrifice in order for us to be a great team. So the individual goals and the individual talent, we gotta bring the best out of him and we gotta bring the best out of us. Once he figures that out, the sky is the limit for that kid. I'm serious when I tell you guys that that dude is a bad dude. He's a bad dude."

Related - Pierce: Celtics' Tatum 'looks like an older version of me'

Despite going third overall in this summer's draft, with the Celtics even trading down from the No. 1 overall pick to take him, Tatum's immediate role on a deep roster aspiring to win a championship is up in the air. General manager Danny Ainge has suggested the 19-year-old likely won't be in the Rookie of the Year conversation based on his playing time - which he'll have to earn - compared to other members of the '17 class.

Tatum and Irving did embark on a vacation together to the Bahamas back in August, with the two sharing the same agent.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox