Celtics star Jayson Tatum has made plenty of tough decisions over his 4-year career so far. But on Tuesday, in an appearance on the ‘Knuckleheads’ podcast, he was faced with one of his toughest decision yet.
At the 49:30 mark, the young baller was asked a classic “start, bench, trade” question that included Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.
Tatum, who never backs down from a challenge, provided his response with a bit of a twist:
“You know who I’m starting. I gotta start Kobe. I got Kobe’s jersey downstairs in my bookbag, I’ve even got a Kobe tat. Players like that never get traded. LeBron will never get traded, KD will never get traded.”
“KD and me, we done gone and won a medal together. We done been through something. I can’t trade either one of them, I just can’t. They’re coming off the bench and Kobe’s starting.”
While some might scoff at Tatum’s refusal to trade LeBron or Durant, you can’t really blame him considering he’s the one that still has to play against them this season.
As for Kobe Bryant, it’s really no surprise Tatum gave him the biggest nod here. The Celtics star has been open about his admiration for Bryant in the past and the two even used to train together during Tatum’s first years in the league.
“My favorite player and my idol was Kobe and everybody knows that,” said Tatum. “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.”
Kobe’s exact place on the NBA’s All-Time players list will always be up for debate. For some, he falls behind both Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
For Tatum, he’ll always be the first pick and it’s hard not to appreciate that.
Bryant, who died in January of 2020, is widely remembered for his relentless drive and passionate spirit. Even today, fans all around the world hold him and his amazing career in very high regard.
