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Did Jayson Tatum really grow two inches this year?

ByScott Rogust|
PORTLAND, OREGON - FEBRUARY 25: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts in the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers during their game at Moda Center on February 25, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - FEBRUARY 25: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts in the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers during their game at Moda Center on February 25, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The Boston Celtics head coach claims that young superstar Jayson Tatum actually grew two-inches in height.

On Tuesday evening, the Boston Celtics open up their preseason as they hit the road to face the rival Philadelphia 76ers. With the team falling just short of the NBA Finals in the Walt Disney World bubble, the Celtics are looking to take that experience to propel them to at least the Eastern Conference title. As it turns out, one player on Boston has been growing their game.

When speaking with the media on Sunday, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens claimed that star forward Jayson Tatum actually grew two inches in height from 6-foot-8 to 6-foot-10.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1338232281828356096

Did Tatum really have a growth spurt?

Of course, many had to do a double take after reading Stevensā€™ comment on their social media feeds. Utah Jazz point guard Donovan Mitchell said there was no way that it could be true, which Tatum replied that itā€™s his fourth-season as a ā€œ19.ā€ Then, thereā€™s Tatumā€™s teammate in Jaylen Brown, who furthered Stevensā€™ claims by saying that the star is actually 6-foot-11.Ā So, whoā€™s going to come forward to say that Tatum is actually 7-foot-0? Come on, you know thatā€™s the next possible step.

However, itā€™s interesting to note that the Celticsā€™ official website lists Tatum as 6-foot-8. Either they didnā€™t update his profile yet, or Stevens was simply hyping up the face of the franchise.

Tatum is coming off a strong season with the Celtics, where he averaged 23.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists, while shooting 45.0-percent from the field and 40.3-percent from the three-point line. In 25 postseason games, Tatum averaged 25.7 points and 10.0 rebounds in 40.6 minutes. As a result of his efforts, the Celtics rewarded the 22-year-old with a five-year, $195 million max contract extensionĀ back in November.

Growth spurt or not, Celtics fans are hoping Tatum sees growth in his statistics to help lead them to the NBA Finals for the first-time since 2010.

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