"Forever" - Jayson Tatum shares unforgettable moment with son Deuce amidst championship celebrations
Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum became an NBA champion on Monday. He made sure he shared it with one of the constants in his journey, his son, Jayson 'Deuce' Cristopher Tatum Jr.
As the celebration for the Celtics' 18th league title continues, Tatum took time to highlight the special bond he and his son had as he went for his championship dreams. He shared a photo on X (Twitter) of them hugging in midcourt while confetti dropped at TD Garden.
He was short and crisp with his caption:
"Forever"
With Deuce among the sold-out crowd catching Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics in their 106-88 win to close out the Dallas Mavericks, 4-1.
The 26-year-old former third overall pick (2017) top-scored for Boston, finishing with 31 points on 11-of-24 shooting to go along with 11 assists, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 45 minutes of play.
He poured in most of his points in the second quarter (12 points), where they practically ran way and put the game out of reach of the Mavericks by taking a 21-point advantage, 67-46, at the halftime break.
The championship capped what was an eventful 2023-24 season for Jayson Tatum. It also saw him named to his third straight All-NBA First Team and fifth straight NBA All-Star Game.
Jayson Tatum speaks why he always brings Deuce to his games
Jayson Tatum is almost always accompanied by his son Deuce in his games, which he said is partly his way of showing him the value of commitment to achieve one's goals.
Deuce, 6, who Tatum had with his ex-girlfriend Toriah Lachell, has been a steady presence in the home games of his father and has become a fan-favorite in Boston.
He can been seen joining Jayson Tatum during his pre-game routine on the court and every now and crashing his father's post-game interviews. In an interview with PEOPLE, the five-time NBA All-Star spoke about the reason for the constant presence of Deuce during their games.
"On the court (I want Deuce to remember me as) .... a competitor, somebody that just always wanted to win. Every time he comes to the game, he sees how I give it my all, I'm doing everything I can in my power to help us win."
Tatum shared that Deuce has started to pick up the game of basketball and is part of an organized basketball team. That has the now-NBA champion very excited and looking forward to helping develop his game further.