Jayson Tatum has made a bold revelation about his initial wishes in the NBA draft. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2017 as the 3rd overall pick that night but Tatum expected his night to be very different. While entering the draft, Tatum was hoping to land in a very different team but the Celtics didn’t miss the opportunity to draft him and that has really paid off for both parties.
However, Tatum recently revealed he was expecting to go drafted a pick earlier, by the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics were a potential landing spot for him but he wasn’t excited to go play in Boston. The reason? Kobe Bryant. In a recent interview, Tatum revealed he grew up watching Kobe and he wanted to emulate the shooting guard with the purple and gold but things happened very differently for the player.
“My favorite player and my idol was Kobe and everybody knows that. So, I didn’t like the Celtics at all going up there. I only grew up, I was like, I’m gonna play for the Lakers. Honestly, I never knew what Boston was at. Like I knew only East Coast. But, I’d 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 happen for a reason and I’m surely thankful to be here with this opportunity.”
Introducing @NewEraCap's City Ties; where @jaytatum0 sits down with @QRich to talk all things NBA and the night he was drafted.
Tune-in on Wednesday 12/23 at 7:30 pm/et on TNT to watch Jayson Tatum and the Celtics take on the Milwaukee Bucks. https://t.co/IR5ztUcbtp pic.twitter.com/9XbkqCNGp5
— NBA (@NBA) December 22, 2020
He landed in the league one year after Kobe retired from the game. The Lakers picked a different route that night and selected Lonzo Ball with the 2nd overall pick. In the end, it was the best decision for the Celtics and Tatum is surely thankful that the C’s picked him. His numbers have improved season after season, he recently earned a huge contract extension and he’s not even 25.
The present and the future is bright for Tatum and the Celtics have played a key role in that. The development of the player has been remarkable and he’s set to lead this team for several years to come.
