Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was one of the top five high school players in the country his senior year. Before that, he was considered one of the best players his age prior to high school.

Tatum knows about dealing with expectations, so he had words of advice for Lincoln High School (Ypsilanti, Michigan) basketball star Emoni Bates, the 15-year-old who was named on Tuesday the Gatorade boys basketball player of the year, the first sophomore to win the award.

And consider other winners of the award: Alonzo Mourning, Stephon Marbury, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kevin Love, Jrue Holiday, Bradley Beal, Karl-Antony Towns, Ben Simmons and Tatum. Some have won it twice. None have won it as a sophomore.

"I talked to him earlier and just told him to keep staying focused," said Tatum, who presented Bates the award over video. "He's on the right track. He's doing all the right things. He should be proud of what he's accomplished. Stay motivated. Stay hungry. Keep working. He can ultimately reach what he's capable of and what he wants to do if he doesn't get complacent and stays focused and keeps working. It's as simple as that. Don't look at the outside too much especially the world we live in with social media. It can get carried away sometimes."

Said Bates: "I try to stay off social media. That’s one thing I'm good at. I'm just focused on staying in the gym."

Congrts @BatesEmoni on winning the 2019-2020 @Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award. Biggest award in high school sports ?? #GatoradePOY#GatoradePartner

As a freshman playing in packed gyms — and sometimes Eastern Michigan's basketball arena — Bates led Lincoln to a state championship, and this season, he averaged 31.6 points, nine rebounds and 2.6 assists this season.

"I grew as a player. I become more of a leader. I had to because seniors left. I had to be the leader this year. Last year, I was a quiet leader. Now, I'm more of a vocal leader, and that's something I improved on this year. It came easy. I knew I had to fulfill it. I had to get comfortable with it. It started off in practice. Basically, I tell my teammates things to motivate them and get them ready for games and things they need to do on the court and I talk to them during the game. I know they look at me as the example so on the court, I need to have good energy."

Bates is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft — if the NBA eliminates its age-eligibility rule. At 6-9 and slender, Bates often draws comparisons to Kevin Durant. Bates can handle the basketball, rebound and score inside and outside.

The Associated Press wrote about Bates when he was 13-year-old seventh grader, and last year, he was won the cover of Sports Illustrated with the headline "Born For This."

Not yet old enough for a driver's license, Bates will have options amid all the attention. He could finish high school as expected and enter the draft in 2022 or go to college the 2022-23 season. But there's another option available. Bates could reclassify and graduate a year from now and spend the 2021-22 season in college before exploring the NBA.

Emoni Bates was named 2019-20 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. He is the first sophomore to win the award, averaging 31.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists this season at Ypsilanti Lincoln. Past winners include Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. @BatesEmonipic.twitter.com/vHAYnSX6t1

Bates has taken unofficial visits to Michigan State, one of the schools that has continued to recruit him despite the idea Bates may not play college basketball. Michigan, Georgia, Florida State and Duke have made offers, according to ESPN, and Kentucky may end up involved, too. He he has spent plenty of time at Michigan State on official and unofficial visits.

"I'm not really too focused on that right now," Bates said. "When the time comes, that's when I will decide to class up or stay all four years."

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