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It goes without saying that the 2017 NBA Draft boasted some serious star power. Among the players at the forefront was Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum who was taken with the third overall pick.
As a result, there has been some speculation regarding whether Tatum has some animosity toward the players selected ahead of him — in particular, Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz. However, he dispelled any notion of bad blood with Fultz, via Yang on NBA Reddit:
“People try to make us be enemies by how we got drafted, but we don’t care about that,” said Tatum, who was drafted two spots behind Fultz. “There’s no animosity between me and him. We’re really best friends off the court.”
Tatum had undoubtedly been one of the highest-rated prospects leading up to the draft. It was evident that the Los Angeles Lakers were going to select point guard Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick. However, Philadelphia's status had remained up in the air at the time. They ultimately decided to roll with Fultz and the decision has not panned out like they had hoped. Meanwhile, Tatum has become one of the most promising, young players in the league.
While there may not be any animosity now, that could very well change once they get back onto the court. Needless to say, both the Celtics and the Sixers have high expectations for themselves going into the 2018-19 NBA season. With star small forward LeBron James now with the Lakers, they have risen as the favorites to capture the Eastern Conference crown. Although Tatum has no issue with where he was drafted, Philadelphia may be kicking themselves at the thought of what could have been if they had gone in a different direction.
