Today, Jayson Tatum is the lead player for the Boston Celtics, but it was an icon from his team’s biggest rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, that inspired him.
Tatum made an appearance on NBA on TNT and spoke about the impact that Kobe Bryant had on him.
“The way he inspired somebody that was 2,000 miles away that I had never met. Just watching him on TV, watching his interviews, watching how hard he worked,” Tatum said about Bryant.
Tatum added that he was motivated to work hard and push himself because he saw the ways that Bryant did.
Because of the Lakers legend, Tatum created the sort of work ethic and dogged drive that he still has today.
“The way he inspired somebody that was 2,000 miles away that I had never met. Just watching him on TV, watching his interviews, watching how hard he worked.”@JayTatum0 on drawing inspiration from Kobe ♥️ pic.twitter.com/zTxMP1nXbb
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 27, 2024
Tatum grew up in Missouri, thousands of miles away from Staples Center and the Lakers.
However, he was captivated by Bryant from a young age and fell in love with his style and his skills.
Over the years, Tatum has repeatedly praised Bryant and said he was his biggest inspiration.
He still wears armbands with the numbers 24 or 8 as a way to celebrate Bryant years after his passing.
Tatum is having one of the best seasons of his career right now, averaging 27.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
He has become the leader of the Celtics and is about to lead them into perhaps their most consequential postseason yet.
Tatum is an MVP candidate, a legitimate superstar, and considered the future of his franchise and the league.
According to him, that is all because of what he learned from Bryant.
The fact that Tatum is still speaking so fondly of Bryant all these years later shows the sort of influence the Lakers star had on him.
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