Jayson Tatum gets honest about regret with Kobe Bryant and avoiding same mistake with LeBron James
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum kept it real about his regret with the late LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant who tragically passed away in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. This year marks the fourth year of 'Black Mamba's death, and Tatum, in a riveting interview with Andscape's Marc J. Spears was honest about how he felt he should have spoken to Bryant more.
He stressed that he wouldn't want to make the same mistake with LeBron James with whom he shares a good relationship with. According to Spears, the 5x NBA All-Star was candid when he remembered the Lakers legend, wishing he had more interactions with Bryant:
“It is bittersweet. I can’t believe that he’s not here anymore. And the thing that I regret is I wish I would’ve called him more. I wish I would’ve texted him more,” Jayson Tatum told Andscape. “I just always thought he was so busy. I never wanted to bother him. We knew each other. He told me to text him, call him anytime. But I was almost scared. I can only imagine all the things he has going on. I don’t want to bother him. And obviously after what happened, I wish I would’ve reached out more. I had so many questions I wanted to know the answers to. I should have called him more and it taught me a lesson."
He also added that he was not shying away from reaching out to some of his senior players in the league, one of them being James.
“Now I don’t hold back with older guys in the league now, like ’Bron. ’Bron is somebody that I text and call a lot, and it could be from basketball to how to take care of your body to business decisions off the court. People are willing to give you answers, you just have to ask.”
Tatum added that the game was played to be remembered, and while he wasn't sure how long he would wear the Celtics jersey, he wanted to go down as the best-ever to suit up for Boston.
The NBA world came to a standstill on Jan. 26, 2020 after news broke that Bryant had died in a helicopter crash alongside daughter Gianna and seven others. At the time of his death, the former 5x NBA champion was 41, and his daughter was just 13.
The group was on their way to a youth basketball game at Bryant's Mamba Training Center in Thousand Oaks, California. At around 10 a.m., just minutes of an hour after take-off, the helicopter crashed into a mountain, killing everyone on board.
With year four, the tributes continue to pour in for Bryant who is regarded as an inspiration to many around the league, one of them being Jayson Tatum.
Jayson Tatum shares heartfelt message to fans after fifth All-Star
Jayson Tatum is set to lace up for his fifth straight NBA All-Star Game after being voted in as an East starter on Thursday night. This is becoming a regular occurrence for the 25-year-old, and he thanked the fans for their support.
Speaking to the media after their win against the Miami Heat, he said he was grateful for the fans voting for him:
"Thanks to all the fans," Jayson Tatum said. "There are so many guys they could vote for and I continue to get voted as one of the top guys. It's pretty cool. I think it's important to celebrate those small wins throughout the season. Obviously, there's more things you want to accomplish, but being an All-Star never gets old and I'm very grateful for that."
Jayson Tatum is averaging 27.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists this season. His scintillating run has helped Boston take the top spot in the East with a clinical 35-10 (the best record in the league figure this season.)