"I was embarrassed, I was crying" - When Jayson Tatum's NBA dream was shattered by a 4th grade teacher
Jayson Tatum has etched his name in the NBA as one of the best players in the league, finishing the season as an MVP candidate. However, before Tatum was able to fulfill his dreams, there were people who discouraged him, including his fourth-grade teacher, who once told him to be more realistic.
It's hard to imagine Tatum not being a basketball player, as he exudes immense talent on the court. According to the former third overall pick, his elementary school teacher shot down his idea when he shared his dreams of becoming an NBA player.
Although it shattered his heart when he was a kid, it motivated him to become a great basketball player in the process.
Tatum said,
"In fourth grade, the teacher was talking about, 'I want everybody to write a paragraph on what they want to be when they get older.' All the kids, they want to do what their parents do. They want to be doctors, dentists, and lawyers and she came around me and I was like, 'I want to be in the NBA one day. and I want y'all to see me on TV.'" Tatum recalled.
"She looked at me and she was like, 'You gotta pick something more realistic.' I remember everybody in the class kind of laughed at me, I was embarrassed and I remember I was crying, I told my mom."
"She told me that as long as she believed in me, as long as she was gonna support me, don't matter what nobody else think."
His mom, Brandy Cole, took matters into her hands and went to the school. There, she confronted the teacher about what was said to her son.
"I told her, 'Don't you ever tell my child that he can't do something. Don't embarrass him, don't shoot down his ideas. Your job is to encourage these kids and help them grow and to pland seeds and to teach them they can be anything.'" Cole said.
Also read: "Now y’all got my boy JT on here offended" - Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum have hilarious exchange on IG live
Shaquille O'Neal believes the Boston Celtics should break up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
After a few seasons of playing alongside each other, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown haven't won anything significant yet with the Boston Celtics. They've managed to somehow always come up short in crucial moments, and now even NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal thinks they should play separately, for good.
"I don’t want five stars on my team. I want a guy that I can go to every night, I want a guy that’s going to lead, and I want three dogs, three others. I would prefer if they were specialists: one to be a shooter, one to be a rebounder, and one to be a fighter." O'Neal said.
Former Celtic Shaquille O'Neal advises Boston to break up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
“I don’t want five stars on my team. I want a guy that I can go to every night, I want a guy that’s going to lead, and I want three dogs, three others. I would prefer if they were… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/lHdjExo5ZO
Despite this take, the Celtics are probably not going to disband the duo. Even with their losses, they're still arguably one of the best stars in the league.
Also read: Jayson Tatum: The rise of a superstar and the future of the Boston Celtics