Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum formed a close bond with the late Kobe Bryant, but he still wishes he could’ve asked his legendary mentor more. Bryant tragically passed away four years ago, and Tatum shared how much the basketball great meant to him with Andscape writer Marc J. Spears.
“I can’t believe that he’s not here anymore,” Tatum said. “And the thing that I regret is I wish I would’ve called him more. I wish I would’ve texted him more. I just always thought he was so busy. I never wanted to bother him.”
Although Bryant and Tatum are connected to rival franchises, the two trained together on multiple occasions. A lot of the Celtics star’s game, especially his fadeaway jumpers, was even modeled after Bryant.
Now, with his idol gone, Tatum has reached out to another Lakers star for advice: future Hall of Famer LeBron James.
“Now I don’t hold back with older guys in the league now, like ’Bron,” Tatum said. “’Bron is somebody that I text and call a lot, and it could be from basketball to how to take care of your body to business decisions off the court. People are willing to give you answers, you just have to ask.”
Like his relationship with Bryant, Tatum has known James for some time.
In 2018, they battled in the Eastern Conference Finals, as a young Tatum went toe-to-toe with James’ Cleveland Cavaliers. And last Christmas, Tatum even admitted to using James’ tactics against him, as he facilitated his way to a win against the Lakers when his shots weren’t falling.
To truly follow in the steps of Bryant and James, Tatum has to win a championship — and he knows it.
“That’s the only thing I really haven’t done and being so close and knowing how hard it is to get to that point and not getting over that hump. So, it is overdue. It is long overdue, but I got a good feeling about it,” he said.
The Celtics, who currently boast an NBA-best 35-10 record, have a great shot at capturing a title this season. It won’t be easy though, as the C’s haven’t brought home a banner in 16 years.
Yet, Tatum, like his mentors, is clearly up for the challenge.
