Jayson Tatum's message to his “haters”

Jayson Tatum has had a string of successes in recent times, with the release of his signature line at Jordan Brand which is doing rather well, an NBA title as a highlight followed by an Olympic medal. This Parisian campaign, however, had a special flavor for the Celtics superstar, involuntarily put in the spotlight because of his limited role within the American “Avengers”.

During his media week, which included appearing on Jimmy Fallon to discuss the release of his children's book “Baby Dunks-a-Lot,” Jayson Tatum took the opportunity to speak out about the many criticisms that have been leveled at him, up until this NBA title which gives him a weighty argument.

“It’s hard to see people talking about you on TV, doubting you, or reading everything that’s said on Twitter, when you know how much you sacrifice, how hard you work on your game… You want to be the best. You want to play your best every game, but it just doesn’t work like that.”, he declared. “More than just me, I think about my mom, my grandma, my family and my friends. It’s something that affects them more than it affects me. I know if Deuce was ever in the NBA and people were talking about him every day, I wouldn’t be able to separate the superstar from the kid that he is. My mom took it a lot harder than I did. I don’t take these things personally. There was a long break from the NBA, so the media had to overanalyze every little thing.”

Family always at the center

So naturally he turned to his mother when Boston won the title last June, the two arguably most aware of the sacrifices that were necessary to get there.

This is perhaps even more the case today, as “JT” has also been thriving in his role as a parent for almost seven years. As his mother did for him, it is now his turn to accompany his son, a mission that he visibly takes to heart and that the media have enjoyed following, positively this time.

“It’s crazy, really. I never thought I would be this famous, or that our relationship would be this publicized. I wanted to be the best basketball player I could be and the best father I could be. I didn’t want to sacrifice either. I just wanted him to be there as much as possible. I wanted to share those moments, even if he wouldn’t remember them, when we were doing it. I always wanted him to be at the games.”, he added. “My mom would bring him. He had his own personality. He’s always running around the court and in the locker room. All he knew was going to the Celtics game. He’s spoiled! He just thought it was normal. Since he started going to school, I have to commend him. He’s doing great. He’s a very respectful kid. I go to his school a lot and sit in class with him or eat lunch with his classmates like I’m a kid. I sit in those little chairs. I know all his classmates. It’s cool for me to see him in a normal environment. With the first graders, he’s just Deuce.”

How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.