Jayson Tatum jut launched a fact bomb that clears the waters round so many myths within the NBA, particularly debunking the speculation that the Lakers ever needed to draft him again in 2017. In accordance with the 26-year-old, he had a special dream ready for him, and it didn’t concerned sporting the Celtics uniform.
Truly, fairly the other, because the ahead’s need had all the time been to put on the jersey from Boston’s traditional rival, painted purple and gold. In a latest look on the Membership 520 Podcast, JT lastly revealed what had been his authentic dream all alongside.
“For me, I grew up a Kobe fan, I all the time needed to play for the Lakers,” Tatum stated within the episode launched on Monday. “For them to have the No. 2 choose and it wasn’t even a thought that I used to be gonna get drafted, that was sort of devastating. I by no means labored out for the Lakers. They by no means got here to observe me exercise.”
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum drops stunning Lakers fact bomb from 2017 NBA Drafthttps://t.co/BW7xmQSfqE
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Happily for the Celtics, the longer term NBA champion had not been chosen within the NBA Draft they usually took the Duke product that evening because the No. 3 choose. “I get drafted, Gordan Hayward indicators with the Celtics. I name my agent like, ‘Yo, I gotta get traded,’” he shared. “I’m in Summer time League earlier than I ever play a recreation.”
“(My agent’s) like, ‘Loosen up. Wait it out. You gotta chill.’ I’m like, ‘I’m attempting to play.’ I didn’t get drafted to return off the bench and never begin,” Tatum recalled. Each Boston stars then discovered themselves sharing the beginning lineup, however Hayward then broke his leg 5 minutes in and missed out on that complete marketing campaign.
Quick-forward 7 years later, if Jayson continues the trail he’s on, he may simply surpass Larry’s historic marks. Not solely is he nonetheless younger, the six-foot-eight ahead has already earned a Rookie First-Crew nod, an All-Star Recreation MVP, plus 5 All-Star choices.
Additionally, not too way back he contributed to Crew USA conquering the gold medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics, an award he had already earned 4 years earlier in Tokyo. Now that he received the league this previous June, he’s began to grasp that the sky is the restrict for him.
That’s not it, based on an NBA Corridor of Famer, he’s acquired an additional motivation to succeed. “I feel Jaylen getting left off the Olympic group and Jayson not enjoying… They’re the defending champs that’s gonna take their confidence to a different stage. The NBA discovered a solution to piss each of them off this summer season,” Charles Barkley stated in preseason.
The Boston star admitted earlier than the beginning of the season that he needs to surpass Larry Hen’s legacy: ‘That’s the man I’m chasing’
Each athlete feeds off of various elements to maintain themselves motivated as they pursue excellence, and a few merely goal the very best doable to allow them to discover their finest variations whereas enhancing their requirements. That’s just about Jayson Tatum’s mindset proper now, as he admitted earlier than the beginning of the marketing campaign that he needs to turn out to be one of the best Celtics participant that ever lived.
The famous person was interviewed in October because the Boston membership took on the press as they have been preparing for the season opener, and he was requested what precisely drives him to place within the work on daily basis. The NBA champion revealed that he needs to compete with Girl Hen’s legacy in Massachusetts.
The 26-year-old admitted that he thinks the Boston legend is one of the best athlete to ever put on the membership’s badge. “Larry Hen is one of the best Celtic to ever put on this uniform, and that’s the man that I’m chasing,” he assured. “My motivation is to chase one of the best gamers to ever play, one of the best gamers to ever put on a Celtic uniform.”
“I simply all the time really feel like total, I can nonetheless get higher. You haven’t seen one of the best model of Jayson Tatum,” the previous Duke product emphasised. “And also you shouldn’t, proper? I’m solely 26, I ought to proceed to maintain getting higher.”