Jayson Tatum might've just led the Boston Celtics to an NBA title, but he once dreamed of playing for their biggest rival — The Los Angeles Lakers.
Growing up, Tatum was a massive fan of Kobe Bryant and his Lakers. When you're a kid, anything is possible. In the fourth grade, Tatum already had NBA aspirations, but suiting up for the Lakers was on his mind.
Check out what the Celtics superstar wrote in an essay from his childhood:
Well, some of those are true. He is now playing for Team USA and has given back to the community. Tatum has just one kid right now instead of two. The Phoenix Suns? Yeah, not exactly. As for the hypothetical trade to the Lakers, fans need to relax. That is simply not happening anytime soon. He's a franchise cornerstone in Beantown with Jaylen Brown.
Jayson Tatum's Lakers dreams likely stem from love for Kobe
As a youngster, we always look up to a specific athlete. For Jayson Tatum, that athlete was Kobe Bryant. I mean, can you blame him? The Black Mamba was an absolute killer on the court and was the epitome of hard work. He gave his all every single day to be the best basketball player imaginable.
“I think with anything, whatever your profession is, there's always that first person who inspired you to chase that goal, to do what you set out to do. For me, it was Kobe,” the five-time All-Star shared on Carmelo Anthony's podcast.
“Growing up in St. Louis, we didn't have an NBA team, and I just gravitated towards him and the Lakers. He was my inspiration, my why, and my role model, even from thousands of miles away,” Tatum continued.
“I never met him as a kid, but I wanted to be like him. He inspired me to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to work out before school, to work out after practice, to not miss any days, and to not skip any steps.”
“When I got to the league and built that relationship with him, it meant the world to me. The only thing I really regret is that, and I know it was a tragic incident, but I was such a fan. He reached out to me, we worked out a couple of times, and he said, ‘Yo, if you ever need something, hit me up.”
Tatum a pillar for the Celtics
Jayson Tatum has developed into one of the best players in the Association over the last couple of years and the backbone of the Celtics organization alongside Brown. The two are one of the best duos in the league and finally took Boston all the way in 2024, beating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
The Duke product just signed a mammoth five-year extension worth up to $315 million, keeping him in Boston through 2029-30. There is a player option and a trade kicker, but it's hard to imagine Tatum leaving the C's anytime soon.
One of the main reasons NBA fans are freaking out about Tatum sharing this essay right now is because he's playing on Team USA with Anthony Davis and LeBron James, two current Lakers.
Purple and Gold fans can imagine it, but it's highly unlikely Tatum's fourth-grade dream, which is most certainly not his dream anymore, will come true.
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