Jayson Tatum Breaks Kobe Bryant’s Historic Record in NBA Finals Game 5

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Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum came out on fire in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Scoring 16 points in the first half, Tatum overtook Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant for first place on the the league's all-time playoff scoring list for players 26 years old or younger (per Basketball Reference's StatHead).

This is a special record for Tatum to break, because Bryant is his basketball idol, and the two had a very close relationship.

Bryant tallied 2,694 postseason points before turning 27 years old, which was an NBA record prior to this game. Entering Game 5 with 2,680 career playoff points, Tatum passed Bryant with his three-pointer at the end of the first half that game him 16 points for the game.

What was so impressive about this start to Game 5 from Tatum, is that he was still getting his teammates involved despite the scoring outburst. As he has struggled with his shot in this series, Tatum has been able to get his teammates involved, and that did not change to start Game 5.

The NBA Finals MVP award will be an interesting one, because while Tatum has been the best player in Game 5, many feel his co-star Jaylen Brown has been the best player overall in the series. That said, Tatum has made it clear his focus is on winning an NBA championship, and not on an individual award.

One of the best players in the NBA, Tatum continues to put his name in the record books, this time passing his idol Kobe Bryant on an incredible list.