For as well as Jayson Tatum has played from the middle of January onward, the race for this season's NBA MVP award has likely passed him by.
Tatum himself seems to realize that the award is out of reach for him...at least for this season.
NBC Sports Boston's Chris Mannix, appearing on the Bill Simmons Podcast earlier this week, had a story about an interaction between Tatum and one of this year's favorites, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid that took place while Embiid was working with Drew Hanlen, a trainer the players share.
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As Mannix explained it, Tatum "called Drew one day, when Drew was with Embiid -- Tatum didn't know it -- but he made Drew put it on speaker phone and say to Embiid 'you'd better win MVP this year, because it's mine next year."
"His confidence is next level at this point," Mannix said.
Tatum does lead the NBA in net rating through games played Tuesday, for what it's worth, at 11.7,
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Embiid, along with Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, are considered favorites for the MVP award this season. Tatum has made a spirited charge late, including three Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards in March, but will likely have to settle for what could be his first appearance on the All-NBA First or Second Team; he was Third Team in 2019-20.
Either way, it speaks volumes to Tatum's rise that he'll absolutely enter next season as among the favorites for MVP.
It's too bad for Embiid's sake that he could've been competing with Tatum for the award as teammates, had the Sixers not foolishly selected Markelle Fultz first overall in the 2017 NBA Draft after acquiring the pick from the Celtics, a deal which they in turn used to select Tatum third.