The 2017 NBA Draft seems like an eternity ago, but the implications of how it played out that summer are still being felt today. Looking back on the period, Jayson Tatum recently confirmed that he had no illusions of falling within the top two.
“I think it definitely worked out. I think the consensus is that Markelle was going No. 1, and when the Lakers got the second pick, it was like Lonzo was going 2… So, for me, I grew up as a Kobe fan,” said Taum on the ‘Club 520’ podcast. “I always wanted to play for the Lakers. So for them to have the No. 2 pick and it wasn’t even a thought that I was gonna get drafted there, that was kinda devastating. I never worked out for the Lakers, they never came to watch me work out.”
Coming off an amazing season at Duke, Tatum was a sure-fire lottery pick that summer but his exact ranking among the elites was highly contested. With potential stars like Markelle Fultz, Josh Jackson, and De’Aaron Fox, it was a deep class and Tatum (26) was in a highly competitive field. While he knew that he’d fall somewhere near the top, Jayson initially thought he was headed to the Suns.
“But then, like a week before the draft, Philly and Boston traded 3rd and No. 1 pick,” said Tatum. “But I wanted to go to Phoenix. Phoenix had the fourth pick, and Earl Watson was the coach, I went out there and I was looking at houses. The weather was nice. They had a young team I was like ‘Man I’m gonna get to play.’ And then I remember Coach K was like ‘Yo, Boston wanna have you for a second workout.'”
The No. 1 pick was already locked in that summer since the Philadelphia 76ers had Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid in need of a point guard. The Phoenix Suns were heavily interested in Tatum but had to settle for Josh Jackson at 4 when the Celtics called his name one spot earlier. For the Los Angeles Lakers at 2, however, anything was on the table and they desperately needed a hit after one of their worst seasons in franchise history.
Sadly, instead of selecting a star in Tatum, De’Aaron Fox, or Donovan Mitchell, they picked up Lonzo Ball instead, who was traded years ago and has continually struggled to stay healthy throughout his young career.
The Lakers then had to watch as Tatum ascended into a bona-fide superstar for the Celtics. Now, as a 5x All-Star, 4x All-NBA player, and NBA champion, Tatum has reached the epitome of success in the league and he’s proving the 76ers and Lakers wrong every day for not drafting him when they had the chance.
To this day, Tatum speaks openly about his old Lakers fandom and his love for Kobe Bryant which has never faded. Had the Lakers given him a chance, he might have thrived as a young leader and face of the franchise and he might have saved them from some of their worst years.
But even if he had the chance to go back and change things, Tatum would leave everything how it played out. He’s found a home with the Celtics and a team has believed in him from the very start. He wouldn’t take it back for anything now, especially after finally achieving the ultimate success.
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