The NBA is a star-driven league and each season is defined by the remarkable heights those stars achieve. In anticipation of the upcoming 2026–27 season, we chose five players we believe will write the story of this campaign—the names who will echo throughout history when we look back on everything that is to come. First up? Jayson Tatum.
The second act to Jayson Tatum’s career began on March 6. That, of course, was the day the Celtics’ superstar returned to the parquet for the first time since tearing his Achilles nine months earlier. It wasn’t a perfect return. The rust was as evident as Tow Mater’s. But to perform in front of Boston fans less than a year after their hearts collectively shattered watching him spin in pain on the Madison Square Garden floor was remarkable. Storybook, even.
