On Saturday, the Boston Celtics ended their two-game losing streak with a 117-107 win over the Phoenix Suns in the TD Garden. Jayson Tatum struggled a little for the home team, scoring an inefficient 29 points, with Jaylen Brown cleaning up for his partner with 27 points of his own, as per NBA.com. For the Suns, superstar forward Kevin Durant put on a clinic and finished with 45 points, while guard Bradley Beal poured in 25. But while the two teams, and especially Tatum and Beal were engaged in a fierce battle on the court, after the game, the two playersonly shared pleasantries off it.
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During his post-game interview with ESPN, Tatum paid homage to Beal and showcased his admiration towards him for mapping his path to the NBA. Tatum said the following on the matter, as seen in the X [Formerly Twitter] post by Noa Dalzell.
“Two kids from Saint Louis. Not a lot of people make it out of there. For him to come out first, give me the blueprint, always come back AND be there for me, work out with me, show me the ropes.. that’s like my big brother.”
Both Beal and Tatum are from St Louis and made it to the NBA despite the city not boasting many basketball superstars. Beal, the third pick in the 2012 NBA draft, paved the way for Tatum and guided him before he entered the league himself in 2017. The duo now shares a bond that has extended to their families as well.
After the game, Beal’s kids rushed to the court and jumped into ‘Uncle Jay’s arms, who reciprocated with the same love and enthusiasm. The endearing moment showcased Beal and Tatum’s bond off the court that transcends rivalries.
Despite their close relationship, the two stars have done well to keep their bond aside when facing off against each other on the court. It is a good thing too, considering that they could be meeting each other in the 2024 NBA Finals. When a championship is on the line, there is seldom any room left for friendship.
Jayson Tatum tried luring Bradley Beal to Boston
In the 2021 offseason, Bradley Beal was among the top players available in the trade market. He was entering the final year of his deal with the Washington Wizards and was reportedly eyeing a move away from the franchise to compete for a championship. The Golden State Warriors were reportedly interested in signing the then-Wizards guard, but he had other plans. Per Warriors insider Jason Dumas, Beal preferred to stay in the Eastern Conference and join the Boston Celtics to team up with Jayson Tatum.
The Celtics were eyeing a blockbuster acquisition after Kyrie Irving left the franchise high-and-dry. Beal would’ve been the perfect fit, but the trade never materialized. In fact, no team could sign Beal, who stayed put in Washington. After the 2021-22 season, Beal signed a mammoth five-year, $205 million contract extension with the Wizards, which included a no-trade clause.
Only two years in, Washington wanted to get rid of Beal and his albatross contract, and the Phoenix Suns took him off their hands with a blockbuster deal in the 2023 offseason. Life in Arizona hasn’t been kind to the veteran guard. Injuries have limited him to only 34 games and with 18 games left in their regular-season schedule, the Suns are at risk of dropping into the play-in tournament places.
While playing alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker was an incredible opportunity on paper, the reality probably makes Beal wonder about a timeline where he signed for the Celtics in 2021 and played alongside Tatum.
