There have been numerous father-and-son duos that have graced the NBA over the years since its inception. The likes of Joe and Kobe Bryant, Mychal and Klay Thompson, Dell and Steph Curry, and so on and so forth.
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A father-son relationship has led to multiple players achieving greatness on the court. The parent can be seen working with their children during the off-season to enhance their skills and hone their craft. So best believe that the two are intertwined.
Some fathers choose to be affectionate and loving towards their children, while others choose to impose upon them the way of life, through tough love. Not to state that the latter doesn’t work, but the more pertaining question to that aspect is, does it help in the long run?
Therefore, to state that the actions of a parental figure will have no impact on their children is being oblivious to the fact that it actually does.
However, not all father-son relationships are pleasant or can even be viewed as guidance for that matter. Someone who can attest to that statement is Boston Celtics ‘All-Star’, Jayson Tatum.
Also read: 6ft 8″ Jayson Tatum’s Mother Revealed How She Kept His Grades Up During School Days
Jayson Tatum highlights his strained relationship with his father.
In late October, Jayson Tatum had a sitdown with an American journalist, Graham Bensinger. The Celtics forward spoke a great deal about several topics. However, the one that stood out was when the 24-year-old spoke candidly about his relationship with his father.
Bensinger enquired of Tatum how the scenario changed for the NBA ‘MVP’ frontrunner, in the light of him beating his dad in the eighth grade. Tatum provided his perspective on the relationship between the pair.
Responding to an incident where his dad pinned him against the locker room, Jayson Tatum stated-
“I was scared of him. He would like grab me by my shirt and pin me up against the wall and cuss me out in front of everybody..I would be balling, crying he would call me out by my name. But then I would come out at half-time and I would outscore the rest of the team and we would win, so in his mind, he needed to push my buttons to get me to a certain point.”
An argument can be made stating that the tough love has indeed paid off at long last, with Tatum being garnered as a top player in the NBA currently. Nevertheless, you cannot put a price on having a loving relationship with your dad.
Jayson Tatum’s growth in the NBA.
The Boston savior was drafted third in the 2017 draft. Yet, some might say the American was always destined for greatness. Being a proficient three-level scorer in the NBA today is a feat only few can relate to.
The Celtic’s protagonist has enhanced his game year in and year out over the past six years. With Tatum finally coming into his own, the 2022 NBA Finalist will at long last be making his bid to clinch the NBA ‘MVP’ award.
Tatum is currently averaging 30.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 17 games this season, with Boston leading the Eastern Conference. We just might see the Celtics make the NBA Finals once again.
Also read: Jayson Tatum Becomes Youngest to Join the 8000-800 Club, Ahead of the Likes of Stephen Curry
