'They Need You': Inside Celtics Rookie Jayson Tatum's Wild First Week on the Job

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2740939-they-need-you-inside-vip-rookie-jayson-tatums-crazy-first-week-on-the-job




'They Need You': Inside Celtics Rookie Jayson Tatum's Wild First Week on the Job



YARON WEITZMAN



OCTOBER 27, 2017






BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 24: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts in front of Willy Hernangomez #14 of the New York Knicks after hitting a three point shot during the fourth quarter at TD Garden on October 24, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Knicks 110-89. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images





BOSTON — Sitting in a Ritz Carlton hotel room high above downtown Cleveland just hours before his NBA debut, Jayson Tatum considers the moment. “Can you believe I’m going to be guarding the best player in the world tonight?” he asks his father Justin.

Jayson has met LeBron James once before, 11 years earlier. His godfather, Larry Hughes (yes, that Larry Hughes) recognized the potential of his former high school teammate's son; he figured his godson could benefit from being exposed to basketball royalty. A giddy Jayson, wearing a red youth league jersey, even took home a picture to preserve the moment. The photo wound up in LeBron’s Twitter mentions six years later, along with a message from Jayson and a request for a follow.


Follow
Jayson Tatum @jaytatum0
@KingJames Follow back it's Larry Hughes nephew from st. Louis and Abe and Rj Lil cousin and Justin Son Follow Back
4:01 PM - Apr 13, 2012
77 77 Replies   3,733 3,733 Retweets   4,641 4,641 likes



Now Tatum is 19, no longer a child but also no yet yet a full-grown adult. The third pick of this summer’s NBA Draft, Tatum's future prospects, his potential, are what intrigue Celtics executives.

Tonight, Tatum is doing all he can to contain his nerves. He takes out his phone and flips through social media. He turns on ESPN and talks hoops with Justin; Justin notices that Jayson, normally reserved, is speaking more than usual. Hughes speculates about the arena's atmosphere.

Later that evening, as Jayson loosens up on the wood court of Quicken Loans Arena, he seeks out a face among the sea of 20,562 screaming observes.

He searches for the eyes of Brandy Cole, but can't find her amongst a sea of maroon and gold. Cole was just 19 years old when she gave birth to Jayson, about nine months removed from her high school graduation. She raised him as a single mom, passing up a volleyball scholarship to the University of Tennessee. She sometimes worked two jobs at once and often tugged Jayson along to classes at St. Louis University, handing him a Gameboy and seating him in the back.


Boston Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum's first NBA game required matching up with the best player of a generation, LeBron James. Before the game, Tatum said to his father: "can you believe I'm going to be guarding the best player in the world tonight?"Tony Dejak/Associated Press


Finding Cole during pregame warmups has been a ritual for Tatum since his days at Chaminade High School. But to Cole something feels different. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, or perhaps it was just a mother’s intuition. Here, even from her seat far away, she senses the rising tension in her son.

Two minutes into his first game, Tatum's first shot is swatted by LeBron out of bounds. LeBron is bigger and stronger then Tatum imagined. This is real.


Then in an instant, everything changes. Six minutes into the opening game of the season, Tatum stands a few yards away from Gordon Hayward’s shattered leg.

At halftime, with the horrific reality of Hayward's injury sinking in, Tatum and his teammates reset. Tatum connects on five of his seven second-half looks and finishes the game, a close loss, with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He becomes the first Celtics rookie to record a double-double since Larry Bird.

Afterwards, he meets Justin outside the locker room.  

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaYBASvgBtZ/?taken-by=jaytatum0
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Didn't end up with the win but glad my 2 favorite people were able to witness me live out my dream and play my first game! Meant the world having both of them there! Dreams do come true!