Jayson Tatum earned comparisons to Boston Celtics great Larry Bird after an inspired performance against the Chicago Bulls.

Tatum scored 43 points and got 16 rebounds and 10 assists to help the Celtics to a 123-98 win on Saturday, hitting the third triple-double of his career.

It was the first time since Bird scored 49 points with 14 rebounds and 12 assists against the Portland Trail Blazers in March 1992 that a Celtics player scored over 40 points in a triple-double.

Tatum got the ball rolling for Boston after a slow start and finished 16-of-24 from the floor while hitting nine of 15 3-point attempts. It was his sixth straight double-double and his 14th of the season.

The 26-year-old admitted he was flattered to be compared to Hall of Famer, Bird.

"Larry Bird is probably the best player to ever wear this uniform," Tatum said.

"So, any time you accomplish something in the same sentence as him, it's something special, even if you never reach that pinnacle.

Jayson Tatum is truly one of a kind

The first Celtic ever to record 40+ PTS, 15+ REB and 10+ AST in a single game pic.twitter.com/laL9th8J75

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 22, 2024

"As a basketball player, you feel the rhythm, the ball is finding you. You're just being active all over the place and probably in that third quarter.

"Joe [Mazzulla] just challenges me every night, just to amplify my team-mates and figure out ways to dominate all over the court. Obviously, I'm scoring a lot and getting rebounds. It just looks different on a given night."

Despite a slow start which saw the game tied midway through the second quarter, the Celtics extended their record to 22-6, with Joe Mazzulla praising Tatum’s impact as he swung the momentum in their favour.

"He went outside what we normally do and that's a testament to him," Mazzulla said.

"Just his shot-making, his decision-making, his ability to rebound. I thought he kind of controlled the entire game."