Itās funny how life goes. More often than not, athletes end up playing for teams that they hated growing up, and sometimes they even rooted for their biggest rivals. It happens in the NBA, NFL, MLB, you name it.
Thatās why athletes have to be professionals about what they do. They have to put their feelings aside and do whatās best for their career and the organization they represent, regardless of their emotions.
Shockingly, Boston Celticsā Jayson Tatum isnāt the exception to that rule. According to a recent interview, he didnāt even know where Boston was at and wanted to play for their archrivals Los Angeles Lakers.
Jayson Tatum Admits He Hated The Celtics And Wanted To Play For The Lakers
āMy favorite player and my idol was Kobe (Bryant) and everybody knows that. So, I didnāt like the Celtics at all going up there. I only grew up, I was like, Iām gonna play for the Lakers. Honestly, I never knew what Boston was at. Like I knew only East Coast. But, Iād never been there, I never thought about going there. So, when I got drafted, it was kind of crazy. Like, I used to hate Celtics, and now, it worked out. Everything happens for a reason and Iām surely thankful to be here with this opportunity,ā Tatum confessed.
That shouldnāt come as a surprise considering Tatum admitted to being a diehard Kobe Bryant fan growing up and they even worked out together one summer. Also, he was clearly affected by his idolās sudden passing.
This wouldnāt be the first time that something like that happens. As a matter of fact, Paul Pierce also grew up a Lakers fan and was born and raised in California. Now, heās one of the Celticsā biggest icons and a diehard Boston fan.
Itās pretty safe to say that Jayson Tatum has now embraced the Celticsā culture. He recently signed a massive five-year, $195 contract extension with them to continue being the face of the franchise, so itās unlikely that weāll ever see him wearing the purple and gold.
