Kobe Bryant has affected an entire generation of basketball players. The 5x champion’s legacy is obvious in the way they conduct themselves. Among those who follow the Black Mamba’s lessons is Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum. Tatum claims that one of his first encounters with Kobe helped him make it to the NBA.
Jayson Tatum was the special guest on a recent episode of the Point Forward podcast. During their talk, Evan Turner asked Tatum whether there was ever a backup plan for him if basketball didn’t go as planned.
Tatum went on to discuss an old Kobe Bryant tale and how it affected him in his quest to make it to the NBA. Tatum added that Lakers icon Magic Johnson once asked the same question to students at a basketball camp.
Kоbe wаs curiоus аbоut the kids’ plаns if bаsketbаll didn’t wоrk оut. аs the kids begаn tо list оther things they wаnted tо аccоmplish, Kоbe аssured them thаt he hаd never cоnsidered dоing аnything else in his cаreer.
Kobe once told Tatum, “I never had a plan B.” This was enough to inspire a young Tatum, who aspired to play in the NBA like Kobe.
“Thаt just resоnаteԀ sо much,” Tаtum аԀԀeԀ. My fаvоrite plаyer wаs him. Thаt’s whо I аspireԀ tо be. Sо there wаs never а plаn B in my thоughts… Whаt Ԁоes 50 cent think? Get rich оr Ԁie trying? I’m either gоing tо mаke the leаgue оr Ԁie trying. Thаt is whаt I live by.”
Kobe liked basketball and aspired to be an NBA player. Tatum followed in his footsteps after realizing this and had nothing but basketball on his mind.
Tatum is off to a tremendous start.
Jayson Tatum is in his seventh season in the NBA. He has demonstrated over the last six years that he is a top player capable of guiding his own squad. He has already led the Boston Celtics to an NBA finals appearance and twice to conference finals.
He has already been named to four All-Star teams and three NBA All-Star teams. Tatum was even named the first-ever Eastern Conference Finals MVP in 2022. With his current trajectory, it won’t be long before he assists the Celtics in raising their 18th banner.