Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics have been on their fair share of extended playoff runs in the past. However, this team has never gotten over the hump in terms of getting out of the Eastern Conference. That was the case until Tatum led the C's to the NBA Finals this season.

It's no secret that the Celtics star draws inspiration from the late, great Kobe Bryant. Tatum has been very vocal about how much Kobe means to him and how he looks up to the Los Angeles Lakers legend. As it turns out, however, LeBron James has also played a key role in Boston's extended postseason run.

According to Tatum, he watched some old film of LeBron to get him hyped during their second-round series against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. As we all know, that worked out for Tatum and the Celtics.

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“I've done it before,” Tatum told Malika Andrews of ESPN. “I remember, down 3-2 when we went to Milwaukee going to Game 6. I remember, I watched the highlights of LeBron when he, in 2012, was down 3-2 when he played against Boston. That was one of the best things I've ever seen. So, just kinda being in those positions, watching film and watching tape of guys who've done it before me, guys that I've looked up to.”

Tatum wasn't shy about heaping praise on LeBron, even though it was the Celtics that James took down back in 2012. Kobe has played an undeniably huge role in Tatum's journey for the Celtics thus far, and apparently, to a certain extent, so has LeBron.