Jayson Tatum went all the way to the 2022 NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics. For many, Tatum finally reached the Finals after multiple Eastern Conference Finals losses in his career. As he tried to emulate Kobe Bryant in the Finals, Tatum fell short of winning the title, losing 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors. He made a longtime friend extremely proud of his performance.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal used to babysit Tatum when they were kids in Missouri. The pair have been friends for years preceding their NBA career, so Beal was extremely happy to see Tatum compete in the NBA Finals and pay tribute to Kobe.
“For [Jayson Tatum] to be delivering that, feeling like he’s Kobe out there, that was cool to see”
Bradley Beal on how watching his childhood friend perform in the playoffs motivated him in his rehab@thefrankisola | @washwizards | @RealDealBeal23 | @jaytatum0 pic.twitter.com/hLRkJmQ2di
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 30, 2022
“He had a hell of a year. He’s an MVP-caliber player. I think he’s realizing that now and I think he knows he can be really special, like top 1 or 2 guy in the league, he can be that. For me to see that in person was surreal. Seeing him play in the Finals, we’re both 2 kids from the same city, we dream of that type of stuff and hope we can make it. For him to be delivering that, feeling like he’s Kobe out there, that was cool to see. Just to see the intensity between him and Golden State, it motivated me to get through my rehab and get back on the floor. I am proud of him and his growth and he’s going to keep getting better and better. The sky is the ultimate limit.”
Beal and Tatum are going to be rivals in the Eastern Conference for another season. Beal will hope his Wizards can be as competitive as the Celtics, even after everything they’ve been through.
Can The Washington Wizards Realistically Compete For A Playoff Spot?
We all know that the Celtics are a strong bet for making the playoffs just based on the strength of their roster alone. The Washington Wizards have not been a team that is contending for the playoffs in recent years, outside 2021 when Russell Westbrook took them to the playoffs.
Bradley Beal spent most of last season injured and the Wizards made an audacious trade to acquire Kristaps Porzingis. If Porzingis can stay healthy and develop a nice 1-2 punch with Beal, the Wizards could be another team to watch out for in a stacked Eastern Conference.
