It’s impossible to find anyone with a bad thing to say about Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. That’s because the three-time First Team All-NBAer is not only one of the best players in the game today, he’s also one of the best people, a fact he’s proven time and time again with his many charitable works and positive fan interactions. Tatum has used his platform as well as anyone could, but his latest act may be one of his best yet.
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Tatum and his Celtics recently hosted a special guest at one of their practices, an 88-year-old lifelong fan named Nannie. The octogenarian has been a staple on her granddaughter’s TikTok for her love of the Celtics, so the team and Fanatics surprised her with a gift box that included a jersey, a robe, and an invitation to come to a team practice and then attend her first ever game.
Nannie got to meet Tatum at practice and take some pictures. Seeing him hold her hands and compliment her on her shoes is the cutest interaction we’ve seen in the NBA this year.
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Nannie then got to attend Boston’s win over the Nets last night, and although she didn’t get to see Tatum and co-star Jaylen Brown play (they were out with a knee injury and back spasms, respectively), she still got to meet the players and take in a win. Kristaps Porzingis even signed her jersey for her.
Jayson Tatum is a model that other NBA stars should follow
By and large, most NBA stars understand the importance of the fans and are usually willing to go the extra mile to make someone’s day. One issue the NBA has had recently, though, is with players sitting out when they’re not injured, especially on the road, which can be crushing to fans who may only get the chance to see their favorite player once per year.
We saw this recently when the Nuggets sat Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Christian Braun in Monday’s win over the Warriors, and when the Thunder sat their entire starting five in a win over the Pistons last week.
Tatum has spoken before about how important he feels it is to show up for the fans on a nightly basis, but it’s not just talk, as he’s averaged more than 73 games played in his first seven seasons in the league. Even after missing Tuesday night’s game, he’s played in 63 out of a possible 69 games this year, so he’s right on track to beat his previous average.
It’s unfortunate that Nannie attended one of the rare games when an injury kept Tatum out, but it looks like she had a blast, as she got to fulfill her lifelong dream, and her practice interaction with Tatum was priceless.
