After Boston Celtics wingman Jayson Tatum finalized a deal with Jordan Brand last June, he said the fact that Michael Jordan reached out to him was a unique honor. “Nobody signs with Jordan without getting his approval so just having that honor of having him reaching out, wanting me to be a part of the Brand…He’s the greatest player of all time so that was a no-brainer.”

In a clip from Jordan Brand's “The Encore” series, hosted by Sage Steele, Tatum again reflected on getting the call to join the Air Jordan team.

“It was like a dream come true” Tatum said. “And the cool part I tell a lot of people about coming to the Jordan Brand family … Michael Jordan has the last say-so, so for him to give you the last stamp, and to say that he wants you as part of the family, is the ultimate form of acceptance.”

Tatum's Celtics teammate Kemba Walker, Zion Williamson, Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook, Maya Moore, and Carmelo Anthony are some of the hoopers also signed by Jordan Brand.

“He represents just, like, a larger-than-life figure,” Tatum said about MJ last summer. “He’s been done playing for 20-plus years and the shoes still sell. Guys like myself that never got to watch him play live—I was born in ’98—but just from highlights and documentaries and things still knowing that he was the greatest.”

Well, now thanks to ESPN's The Last Dance docu-series, Tatum and so many young basketball fans can get an even better appreciation of Jordan's greatness.

Tatum was selected to his first All-Star team in his third season, averaging 23.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, helping Boston (43-21) get to the three seed in the Eastern Conference before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.