via Imago
Jayson Tatum used his day off to pop by the TNT studio. Apart from the Celtics, his foundation, his close friendship with Jamal Crawford, and maybe dunking on Shaq, he also named his GOAT. Far from any expectations, he named Kobe Bryant as the greatest of all time. His reason is simple. The Bean was his inspiration to play.
“It’s the inspiration thing. The way he inspired people,” Tatum said honestly on what sets Bryant apart from Michael Jordan for him. “The way he inspired somebody that was 2000 miles away that I had never met. Just watching him on TV, watching his interviews, watching how hard he worked.”
A signee under the Jordan brand, Tatum’s previous pick for GOAT in December 2023 went viral. He gave his reasoning for why LeBron James came second to Michael Jordan in that regard. And while his admiration for MJ is undeniable, he also saw a mentor in Kobe.
Tatum has a close mentor-mentee relationship with TNT analyst, Jamal Crawford too. Crawford, as his TNT co-hosts described him, is the biggest Michael Jordan fan. That’s where Tatum differed from his mentor.
Kobe Bryant’s influence on Jayson Tatum
The 5x All-Star grew up in Missouri watching Bryant play before he entered the league in 2017. He met the Black Mamba as a young kid in 2007 for the first time when he attended a Lakers game. The picture they took in the arena’s hallway remains one of his most prized possessions.
Jayson Tatum relied on Kobe Bryant similar to how he relied on Jamal Crawford. They regularly texted and Bryant was one of the first people who texted him when he won the Eastern Conference Finals. He was naturally devastated by Bryant’s demise and still mentions how he regrets not talking to him more when he could. As much as he seems to feel that void Bryant left, Kobe still continues to inspire Tatum.
“How he [Bryant] worked the ups and downs of his career from 2000 miles away. Me, seeing myself in him, and wanting to achieve my dreams and chase my goals, and working as hard as I did because he did those things…” He knows others might disagree but it’s his personal choice and said if it wasn’t for Bryant, he wouldn’t be where he is today. Do you see some of Kobe in Jayson Tatum?
