Boston Celtics: 3 reasons Jayson Tatum is ascending into an All-Star

2. The leadership of Kemba Walker

A young player grows in the NBA when there are veteran players to build them up instead of placing blame on them.

Not to knock Kyrie Irving but encouraging young players like Jayson Tatum to keep their heads up when things are not going their way instead of mope is exactly why the addition of Kemba Walker has been so valuable this season.

It really isn’t about talking the talk, because Irving said the right things at times.  It’s more about leading with your body language and simply leading by example.

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has praised Walker continuously for his professionalism and positivity within his leadership.  He is teaching a player like Tatum how to lead by feeding off of him as a basketball player.

In the team’s 17-5 start, Kemba Walker has picked his spots. He is recognizing the talent around him and giving that talent an opportunity to not only grow, but flourish as their own leaders.

As Kawhi Leonard had Tim Duncan and Tony Parker to learn from and Kyrie had LeBron James, Jayson Tatum having a player like Walker to learn from and grow with on a winning team is most valuable to his ascendance into an All-Star, especially the way Kemba praises his young teammates.

"“I’m loving it, especially when I’m not shooting the ball as well as I would like to,” Walker said in early December, via Masslive.com.  “It’s fun to watch, man.  These dudes are so talented, especially for their age.  It just makes life easier for me.”"

That type of leadership and praise from an All-Star will go a long way in the development of a young talent like Tatum.