YouTube Gold: Jayson Tatum Goes Off On The Lakers

Bill Russell, who did such unprecedented things as a Boston Celtic, doesn't make it back for too many games but a game with the Los Angeles Lakers? LeBron James back and taking on the young Celtic star and former Blue Devil Jayson Tatum? How could he pass on that?

So Russ was there Friday night to watch the Celtics crush LA, just like old times.

And Tatum was at the heart of it, scoring 37 points and helping to build the argument that he has become one of the truly elite players in the NBA.

He led the Celtics to a 130-108 win.

For his part, James has had a brilliant career but he is now 36 and time catches up to us all and is beginning to catch up to him in the form of injuries. There’s no way to play forever.

And for his part, Russell sat and took it all in. You have to think that part of him thought I could have stopped that...he shouldn’t have done that...damn that Tatum can shoot...and remembered his battles with Wilt Chamberlain, his closeness with Red Auerbach and the joy he found in playing for the Celtics despite the unhappiness that the city of Boston visited upon him all too often.

All things considered, it must have been quite a night.