Getty Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum singled out a former Boston Celtics teammate after they beat the Toronto Raptors on January 15. Tatum explained how Jabari Parker inspired him before he came into the NBA.
Jayson Tatum is still keeping tabs on former Celtic Jabari Parker over in Barcelona and shouted out his game-winning 3 from yesterday.
“He was the reason I went to Duke. I wanted to be like him. So I’ve got a lot of love for him and happy he’s playing well.”
“He was the reason I went to Duke. I wanted to be like him. So I’ve got a lot of love for him and happy he’s playing well,” Tatum told reporters, per Taylor Snow’s X account.
Tatum also added how happy he was to see Parker thrive overseas while adding his admiration for his former teammate.
“I did see he had a buzzer beater the other day,” Tatum said. “I haven’t talked to Jabari in a minute, but somebody that I got a lot of respect for. Happy that he’s playing at a high level. Obviously, I got to play with him (in) two different stints with the Celtics.”
Parker currently plays for FC Barcelona and hit a buzzer-beater that hit the interwebs on January 14.
Jabari Parker side step 3 for GAME 👀🔥 @FCBbasket @EuroLeague
Parker had a lot of hype as a prospect before he came into the NBA. Sadly, injuries prevented him from reaching his potential, which prematurely ended his career in the league before he had a chance to take off.
Jayson Tatum Reflects on Time With Dennis Schröder
After the Celtics beat the Raptors, Jayson Tatum delved into his relationship with former Celtic Dennis Schröder.
“Great guy, great teammate, just super competitive,” Tatum said via Noa Dalzell’s X account. “When you get to be around him a lot more that, if he sees something he doesn’t like, he’s gonna say it. If he did something I didn’t like, I was gonna say it. We kinda had that trust that we just wanted to win. We had hard conversations, but I got a lot of respect for him because, at his core, he just wants to win. He’s a hell of a competitor.”
Tatum and Schröder did not play together for too long. After signing with the Celtics in 2021, Schröder played 49 games before they traded him to the Houston Rockets. After his second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, Schröder got a two-year contract with the Raptors in 2023.
The Raptors have made some major midseason changes, trading OG Anunoby for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Not only that, but Pascal Siakam has been in trade rumors. If the Raptors continue their rebuild, Schröder’s place on the team may be in question.
Dennis Schröder Tells Jayson Tatum to Win Title
After the Celtics beat the Raptors, the ex-Celtic gave Tatum a signed jersey where he told him to go win a title, among other things.
After tonight’s game, looks like Dennis Schroder gave Jayson Tatum his jersey and signed it “go get that chip this year.”
The two were teammates for half a season back when Schroder was a Celtic in 2021.
Among the things Schröder told Tatum was that he was a “Brodie 4 life,” “Go get that chip this year,” and that Tatum is “Top 5.” The ex-Celtic believes Tatum and the rest of the team are capable of winning and that Tatum is one of the best players in the league.
Even though Schröder did not stay in Boston, adding him started a chain reaction that led to them getting Jrue Holiday. Schröder was traded for Daniel Theis, who was then traded for Malcolm Brogdon, who was then traded for Jrue Holiday. Even if it didn’t work out, Schröder in a way helped the Celtics long-term.