Jayson Tatum Explains How Michael Jordan Turned Into ‘Uncle Mike’

Jayson Tatum remembers being nervous when he first met the legendary Michael Jordan. The Boston Celtics star recalls being a clumsy 19-year-old who needed a nudge from his mother to speak to the Chicago Bulls legend.

Tatum finally got the courage to speak to Jordan at an event in Paris years ago, and things didn’t start off so well. The awkward initial meeting between the two didn’t deter a friendship that saw the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer go From Michael Jordan to Uncle Mike.

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Jayson Tatum Recalls Spilling Michael Jordan’s Wine During Their Initial Meeting

All basketball players want to be like Mike. Jordan is a six-time NBA champion, a five-time MVP, and a 14-time All-Star. He’s the man responsible for the Jordan brand, one many NBA stars, including Tatum, are part of.

Tatum spoke about meeting the icon during his early days with the Celtics. He talked about how embarrassing his first encounter with Jordan was.

“This was back in 2019 when we was in Paris,” Tatum said during an appearance on the “7 PM in Brooklyn” podcast. “That’s when I first got introduced to the brand. It’s when I first signed with him.

“We was at an event and there was like a bunch of media members out there. He was on the mic, and he called me out. We took a photo, and he was like, we just signed Jayson Tatum. That was crazy. We had a dinner that night, and I remember I was nervous as (expletive).

“I got there a little early before everybody else. Him, his wife, Spike Lee was all sitting at a table across the room. I was there with my mom, and she was like, ‘Just go say what’s up. They invited you out here.’

“My hands were sweating. My ass was sweating. I get up and I’m like, ‘Mike what up.’ The wine glass was there and, boom, I just knocked it over, and it broke. He was good about it. He just said, ‘Go back over there. You good.'”

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Tatum Now Refers to Jordan as ‘Uncle Mike’

Ever since that meeting in 2019, Tatum and Jordan have kept in touch. Jordan has been somewhat of a basketball mentor to the five-time All-Star and newly-crowned NBA champion. Tatum said he’s not afraid to text Jordan, after having been scared to death of him in their initial get together.

“Ever since then, we’ve been locked in,” Tatum said of his relationship with Jordan. “That’s another person I would text, or I would call.

“I remember right before my first time going to the Finals. I remember we got to San Francisco, and I called him, and I was like, ‘How is this going to be like? What is it like being in the Finals? What should I expect?’

“We talked for a long time. He’ll text me after games and whatever. I got his name in my phone as Uncle Mike. That’s my man.”

Although Tatum is a long way from being Jordan, he did just capture his first championship, and the Celtics are set up nicely to make a Jordan-like championship run.

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