Jayson Tatum, now the leader of the Boston Celtics with eight seasons and a championship under his belt, revealed that growing up as a Kobe Bryant fan, he always envisioned himself in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey. But when the 2017 NBA Draft rolled around, Tatum says the Lakers never showed any interest in him, leaving the door open for Boston Celtics.
In a recent appearance on the Club 520 Podcast with Jeff Teague, Tatum opened up about his desire to play in L.A. “I grew up a Kobe fan. I always wanted to play for the Lakers,” Tatum shared. “For them to have the No. 2 pick [in the 2017 NBA Draft], it wasn’t even a thought that I was going to get drafted (by them). That was kinda devastating. So, I never worked out for the Lakers. They never came to watch me work out.”
Tatum also admitted he considered playing for the Phoenix Suns but was persuaded otherwise by his college coach. “I remember Coach K was like, ‘Boston wants you for a second workout; you should go.’ I’m like, ‘They just came off the Eastern Conference Finals,” Tatum said.
“They got a veteran team. I’m probably not going to play,’” Tatum recounted. “And he was raving about Brad Stevens, ‘Brad is one of the best coaches in the league.’ I went to Boston three days before the draft for another workout. The rest is history, and it all worked out.”
Jayson Tatum walks on stage with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted third overall by the Boston Celtics during the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft. Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Tatum’s thoughts on Boston
Tatum has built strong connections with the city of Boston and the Celtics organization, feeling deeply rooted within the franchise. “I was drafted in 2017… My son was born [in Boston]. I bought my first car here,” Tatum said. “For me, I admire and love the relationships I’ve built within the organization.”
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He added, “All the coaches I’ve had, the front office, security guards, trainers, chefs, the fans, the people who work at the Garden, the ball boys who do our laundry,” Tatum continued. “The relationships I’ve built over the last seven, eight years—I can’t imagine starting over and leaving them or this place.”
Tatum’s vision for a legacy
Tatum also mentioned his goal of building a legacy similar to that of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Larry Bird. “You see when Paul Pierce, [Kevin Garnett], all those guys come back, the pride they have because they are ingrained in history,” he said.
“You can just feel the energy when those guys return. They know they did something special,” Tatum continued. “That’s what you always want to do. I know with a championship, I’ll be in that room. I understand the energy they feel when they come back. It’s a sense of pride, a sense of joy, like you accomplished something special.”
