Friday night marked somewhat of a homecoming for former Duke star and current chief basketball officer Jayson Tatum, who returned to the state of North Carolina to face the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center.
As he tends to do against Charlotte, Tatum dominated, finishing with a game-high 34 points, including 18 in the first quarter. Now, in 16 road games against the Hornets in his career, Tatum holds career averages of 30.1 points, eight rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals. This includes a 51-point game that he scored on the Hornets back in 2023.
Following the contest, Tatum spoke to the media about returning to North Carolina and his role with Duke University.
"It definitely feels like home," he said. "I have a lot of connections here
in this state, this area. I came here as a 18-year-old kid. My first time spending real time away from home. I was here for a little under a year, and obviously the connection I have with Duke and the relationships that I've been able to build. I always love coming back to North Carolina and love playing here and a lot of Celtics fans and a lot of Duke fans. So it's always a good time coming back."
When asked about his role with Duke, Tatum replied, saying, "It's even surprised me. I didn't think my bond would be this strong with Duke when I chose to go there. I'm glad the way that's it worked out.
'I take a lot of pride in being a part of that program and going there and the relationships that I've been able to build with the guys way older than me and the guys going through the program now. It's really a special place, and I'm very thankful I'm a part of it."
In 29 games with the Blue Devils, Tatum averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks before being taken by the Celtics with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
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This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Jayson Tatum gives surprising answer on relationship with Duke
