Kyrie Irving. Grant Hill. Elton Brand. Carlos Boozer. Luol Deng.

These are just a few of former Duke stars who managed to carve out notable NBA careers after being drafted into the league. All coached by Duke University’s Mike Krzyzewski, whose been at the helm of the the longtime ACC powerhouse since 1980, the combination of Duke’s success as a program and the success of their individual players has made both the school and their alumni household names across the nation.

That includes former Duke forward Jayson Tatum, a rising star in the NBA whom the Boston Celtics selected with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

While former Duke stars Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett may get the bulk of the media attention this season as they embark on careers that have seen them thrust into a role as the feature player and face of the franchise early on, Tatum is no stranger to making fans’ jaws drop, having shown himself to be a future All-Star in the Association with his preternatural scoring instincts.

His talent hasn’t been lost on his former head coach, who has continued to mentor the young forward long after his sole season at Duke.

According to Celtics managing partner Steve Pagliuca, “Coach [Krzyzewski] would say Jayson Tatum is one of the greatest players he’s ever had. Even before the draft, he was saying this kid is a fantastic person, fantastic player, and a hard worker.”

Steve Pagliuca: “Coach K would say Jayson Tatum is one of the greatest players he’s ever had. Even before the draft, he was saying this kid is a fantastic person, fantastic player, and a hard worker.” — Boston.com Celtics News (@BDCCeltics) August 17, 2019

As far as his intangibles are concerned, Tatum has shown that he values family — notably his mother Brandy Cole and son Jayson Tatum Jr. (“Deuce”) — and maximizing his potential more than all else.

In the locker room, he’s been receptive to criticism and while not yet a vocal leader, he’s led by example; putting his head down and doing what’s asked of him, even if it requires him to alter his Kobe Bryant-inspired shot-selection.

With a keen cognizance of his limitations, a desire to push himself to the boundaries of his ability and the work ethic to reach his peak, Tatum doesn’t rest on his laurels and that may be what separates him from the potential NBA stars who became stagnant, regressed or never even reached a peak that had a semblance to stardom.

In terms of how he stacks up against his fellow Duke alums, Tatum has yet to reach the level of an Irving, Hill or even Deng. Seven-time All-Star and Hall of Fame forward Hill is likely the greatest player to come out of Duke, though there are likely many who believe that Williamson will eventually take that title.

Nonetheless, Tatum has the tools to be at least as successful as a player like Boozer — a two-time All-Star who was a scoring machine in his playing days. Not one for hyperbole, Coach K was spot-on with his assertion that Tatum is one of the greatest players that he’s had the pleasure of coaching in his Hall of Fame career.

The highlight of Tatum’s career thus far has been the 2018 Eastern Conference Playoffs, where he averaged 18.5 points per game as a rookie, falling just short of breaking Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for the most points scored by a rookie in a single postseason.

In that coming of age postseason, Tatum laid the foundation for what could be a historically relevant career; the type of career led by perennial All-Star candidates and future NBA champions.