Seven years into his NBA career, Jayson Tatum has emerged as one of the league’s top players. But before that, the Boston Celtics star’s mother helped him become a professional basketball player.
Tatum was selected third overall by the Celtics in the 2017 NBA Draft. While he was initially thought to be a supporting player on a Boston team centered on All-Star guard Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, the youthful youngster quickly climbed to prominence, eventually becoming the team’s greatest player.
Tatum averaged 23.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in 2019-20, his first season without Kyrie. Even though the Celtics were knocked out of the playoffs by Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat, the All-Star forward demonstrated the ability to carry Boston’s offensive load.
This season was Boston’s most successful in recent memory. The Celtics finished the regular season with the league’s best record of 64 wins and 18 defeats, earning the top seed in the playoffs. And, given the team’s dominance on both sides of the court, Tatum and his teammates have a solid chance of returning to the NBA Finals after being defeated by the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum’s mother shares the story of how she prepared his son for the NBA.
While Boston’s matchup with Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers is still ongoing, Tatum was interviewed by Taylor Rooks for Bleacher Report. In a video shared on X, the Celtics star recalled her mother’s role in helping him become an NBA player:
Jayson Tatum’s mother Brandy prepared him for the NBA by asking him basketball-related questions as a child.
Tatum averaged 23.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists over eight postseason games this season. It turns out that he is living up to his full potential, thanks to his mother, Brandy Cole-Barnes.
All Tatum needs to do now is win a ring to properly cement his place among the greats. If he does, Cole-Barnes’ contribution to his trip will be forever remembered in NBA history.
