Future Hall of Famer LeBron James has been in the NBA for so long that the game's current superstars remember being in awe of him over a decade ago. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was no exception, as the 26-year-old recalled one specific moment when he was on the hunt for James' autograph.

Tatum, a St. Louis native, remembered how he went to a game in Memphis to watch his father's best friend, former NBA journeyman Larry Hughes, play alongside LeBron James. The two were on the Cleveland Cavaliers together from 2005 to 2008, making Tatum around 11 years old at the time of the Grizzlies-Cavs contest.

Although the 2024 NBA champion waited patiently, “King James” was busy and couldn't meet with him.

“He ain't tell me no, but he kinda told me no,” Tatum said while signing a basketball. “There was a lot of people back there and he was like ‘I'm out, I gotta go.'”

This led a young Tatum to tears, yet he jokes about the disappointment now.

James and Tatum are now teammates on Team USA's talented roster. During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Tatum won a gold medal, however, James took the year off. In 2024, both are pairing up for the first time ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Even though the two have never played on the same side in a meaningful NBA game, they've faced off against each other on numerous occasions. In fact, during Tatum's rookie season, his Celtics took on James' Cavs in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals.

The experienced Cavaliers ultimately prevailed in seven games, but not before Tatum had a career-defining moment in Game 7. In the fourth quarter of that tight contest, the rookie drove to the rim and dunked it right on James. Tatum even bumped into the current Los Angeles Laker, showing he wasn't afraid of the moment.

“That's why you dunked on me in the Conference Finals?” James asked with a laugh after hearing Tatum's childhood story.

While Boston lost that series, it was a sign of things to come. Tatum continued to prove his worth in the playoffs and got loads of valuable experience that finally culminated in a ring during the 2023-24 season. The Celtics' 18th title, courtesy of a five-game domination of the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals, broke the tie between them and the Lakers for the most championships in league history.

Tatum led the C's in points, rebounds, and assists throughout the playoffs, becoming one of just six players to ever accomplish that feat en route to a championship victory. Ironically, James is part of that elite group as well. The basketball legend did so three different times in 2012, 2013, and 2016.

Moreover, Tatum eventually got the picture he wanted with James during the aforementioned 2012 season. They met after the forward took his talents to South Beach and was on the Miami Heat.

Can Tatum and James lead Team USA to a gold medal together?

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) moves to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and forward Rui Hachimura (28) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Both Tatum and James have won championships and gold medals, yet they've never done it side-by-side.

They'll look to change that in the coming weeks, with America's first official game of Olympic group play starting on Sunday, July 28th versus Serbia. After that, Team USA will match up with South Sudan and Puerto Rico and hopefully advance to the next stage, which should begin with the Olympic Quarterfinals on Tuesday, August 6th.

The historic rivalry between Tatum's Celtics and James' Lakers is well-documented, but it'll be put to the side on the international stage. Celtics guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White both qualified for Team USA and Lakers center Anthony Davis is on the stacked squad too. With that mix of Celtics and Lakers and fellow American stars Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, and others, the United States will be the team to beat.

These aren't the days of the “Dream Team,” though. The rest of the world isn't as afraid of Team USA as it once was. Serbia has three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, France has defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert and phenom Victor Wembanyama, and Canada has 2024 MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Simply put, NBA talent is no longer solely in America. Basketball is much more global now, and Tatum, James, and the rest of Team USA have to be ready to be tested on the biggest stage this summer.