Itâs 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.
Thatâs why athletes have to be professionals about what they do. They have to put their feelings aside and do whatâs best for their career and the organization they represent, regardless of their emotions.
Shockingly, Boston Celticsâ Jayson Tatum isnât the exception to that rule. According to a recent interview, he didnât 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
âMy favorite player and my idol was Kobe (Bryant) and everybody knows that. So, I didnât like the Celtics at all going up there. I only grew up, I was like, Iâm gonna play for the Lakers. Honestly, I never knew what Boston was at. Like I knew only East Coast. But, Iâd 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 Iâm surely thankful to be here with this opportunity,â Tatum confessed.
That shouldnât 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 idolâs sudden passing.
This wouldnât 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, heâs one of the Celticsâ biggest icons and a diehard Boston fan.
Itâs pretty safe to say that Jayson Tatum has now embraced the Celticsâ culture. He recently signed a massive five-year, $195 contract extension with them to continue being the face of the franchise, so itâs unlikely that weâll ever see him wearing the purple and gold.
