Jayson Tatum has been a massive fanatic of Kobe Bryant ever since he was a child. He modeled every element of his game after the LA Lakers legend and looks up to him with the same devotion to this day. The Boston Celtics superstars have even decided to wear the #10 for Team USA at the Olympics, just as Kobe did. And in a recent interview, he explained just what this means to him, delivering a deeply emotional answer.
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Tatum explained that this was a massive “honor” to him, before he admitted that everyone knows just how massive of an influence Bryant has had on his life. In the end, all he could say was that he didn’t take this opportunity for granted.
“Nothing short of an honor to be able to represent this uniform, wear no. 10. Anybody that remotely knows me knows how much influence that he had on me as a kid, inspired me to reach my goals, definitely isn’t something I’m taking for granted”
Jayson Tatum talks to me about the significance of wearing the same No. 10 for Team USA that Kobe Bryant wore. pic.twitter.com/X7jICGzobF
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 8, 2024
Inheriting the great Kobe Bryant’s number is undoubtedly an honor most people grew up hoping to receive. However, the jersey also comes with the expectations of an entire nation.
Considering just how much a certain interaction of his with the Lakers legend impacted him, it would likely be a fool’s errand to bet against him.
Jayson Tatum reveals the exact words from Kobe Bryant that impacted him the most
Kobe Bryant may have been arguably the best basketball player to ever live, but he was arguably an even better motivator. Stories of him pushing his teammates, and even the younger generation, are absolutely everywhere. And fortunately for him, Jayson Tatum was a key part of one of them.
During a 2024 interview, Tatum revealed just what Kobe had said directly to him during a personal interaction of theirs. He then admitted that these words had more of an impact on him, than anything else in his basketball career. Per CNBC, he said,
“He asked me, ‘How much does it mean to you? How much does it mean to be successful, the best that you can be, maximize the talents that god gave you?’… ‘How much are you willing to sacrifice? How hard are you willing to work?'”
In Tatum’s words, these questions “always resonated” with him. And now, he will likely motivate himself through them, as he looks to perform at the highest level with Bryant’s jersey on his back.
