Watch: "DEUCE!!": LeBron James shares heartwarming moment with Jayson Tatum's son after Christmas battle
Moments after the Boston Celtics beat the LA Lakers, 126-115, in the Christmas Day battle, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum shared a lighthearted moment. The four-time NBA champion even shook the hand of Tatum's son Jayson Christopher Tatum Jr., popularly known as Deuce, as the two exchanged pleasantries.
While James and Tatum were in the middle of a conversation, Deuce followed his father and immediately captured the 38-year-old's attention. An excited James with a huge smile said:
"Deuce! Merry Christmas, man! What's up, boy? There you go, Merry Christmas!"
The LA Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics on their home court at the Crypto.com Arena. This is the third straight loss for the Lakers against the Celtics over the last two seasons.
LeBron James tallied 16 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists while Jayson Tatum had 25 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and one block for the Celtics.
The moment after the game shows that the two NBA stars share a good personal relationship beyond the basketball court, and know the names of each other's family members.
Jayson Tatum's relationship with LeBron James
The Boston Celtics and LA Lakers have been in a rivalry dating as early as 1948. As the faces of the franchise change, Jayson Tatum and LeBron James are currently the torchbearers of the long-taled rivalry.
Tatum often acknowledges James for the player that he is and his contributions to the game. The two are good friends outside of the basketball court. Tatum looked up to James while growing up.
“As much great as he gets, he probably don’t get enough credit,” Tatum once said (via Lakers Nation). “But, you know, he’s someone I’m close with and have a great relationship with. I’m honored I get a chance to compete with one of the best players of all time. The way you show respect is going at somebody. That’s how you do it.”
25-year-old Jayson Tatum is in his seventh season in the NBA and averages 26.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals.
On the other hand, LeBron James, at 38 years old, is still going strong in his 21st season in the league. He has been giving the Lakers 25.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.5 steals a night.
The Boston Celtics, as of this moment, hold the best record in the NBA Eastern Conference with a record of 23-6. For the Lakers, they are 16-15 and are ninth in the NBA Western Conference.