"So corny, clout is a helluva drug" - NBA fans decry fake Kobe Bryant messages surfacing ahead of Jayson Tatum's Finals appearance
Jayson Tatum is an unabashed Kobe Bryant fan. The Boston Celtics superstar has said on several occasions over the years that he idolized the legendary late LA Lakers great. With the 2024 NBA Finals starting on Thursday, the Tatum-Bryant memes are already coming out.
Roughly an hour before the tip-off of Game 1 between the Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, a fake Bryant conversation with Tatum resurfaced. This first came out in 2022 in the finals between the Cs and the Golden State Warriors.
Tatum’s forgettable championship round versus the Dubs created memes about how “KB24” would have been embarrassed by the performances of Boston’s franchise cornerstone.
Fans immediately reacted to another unoriginal trolling of Tatum:
“so corny, clout is a hellluva drug”
One fan felt the post had gone too far:
“Bro don’t play bout Kobe you still got time to delete this.”
Another fan had the same thought:
“Like fr tho, let the mamba rest”
A third fan declared:
“OK, this is hateful lol”
Jayson Tatum is looking at the 2024 NBA Finals as a “second chance” for himself and the Boston Celtics. He and Jaylen Brown have repeatedly said that championship series was a learning experience for them. They couldn’t return to the same stage in 2023 but are back where they thought they had a chance to redeem themselves.
The fake Tatum-Bryant conversations aren’t likely going away until Boston’s All-NBA forward leads his team to victory. Failure, though, will only spawn more such memes that will relentlessly taunt and troll Tatum.
Jayson Tatum and the Celtics’ first-quarter performance would have made Kobe Bryant proud
After a tight first six minutes in Game 1, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics surged to end the first frame. Kristaps Porzingis, who hadn’t played since Game 4 versus the Miami Heat in the first round, torched his former team. The Latvian dropped 11 first-quarter points to push the Cs to a commanding 37-20 lead after the opening 12 minutes ended.
Kobe Bryant would have been proud of how Tatum’s Celtics started but he would also have been interested if Boston could hold on. Dallas isn’t going to wilt or cave in after 12 minutes. They didn’t reach the finals without showing grit and resilience. “KB24” would be prouder if the Celtics sprint to the finish line.
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are looking to redeem themselves. The All-Star forward can also end the fake Bryant conversations directed at him if he gets the job done this time.