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Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said he grew up watching NBA champions visit the White House.
On November 21, it was Tatum and the defending champion Boston Celtics’ turn to pay a visit to the U.S. president in his official residence and workplace.
Tatum presented President Joe Biden with a Celtics jersey during the ceremony at the White House.
“It was [a] cool [experience],” Tatum said, per NBA. “A lot of us, my first time here, getting to meet President [Joe] Biden. Have the ceremonies. It’s something you’ve always watched as a kid, and now, to be a part of that tradition, it’s something we’ll always remember.”
“Something we’ll always remember.”
Jayson Tatum on the @celtics visit to the White House! pic.twitter.com/H3wPZhCiQz
— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2024
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Chip on Jayson Tatum’s Shoulder
Tatum was only about 10 years old when the Celtics last visited the White House in 2008 when Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo formed the nucleus of that championship team that beat his childhood idol Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now, he’s part of the new generation of Celtics heroes.
Tatum averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.0 steals in the 2024 NBA Finals as the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in five games.
After losing the NBA Finals MVP trophy to his teammate Jaylen Brown, who averaged 20.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals, 7-4 in media votes because of his inefficiency (38.8% field goal shooting, 26.3% 3-point shooting and team-high 3.2 turnovers), and his benching in Team USA’s Olympic gold medal win in Paris, Tatum has been playing with a chip on his shoulder this season.
Tatum is leading the Celtics’ charge, averaging 29.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and a career-high 5.9 assists and 4.3 3-pointers made per game. He’s also shooting 46.4% from the floor and a remarkable 39.4% from the 3-point line as the Celtics sit second in the Eastern Conference with a 12-3 record.
Jayson Tatum Nearly Asked for a Trade
After the Celtics selected him as the No. 3 pick in 2017, Tatum was not keen on playing in Boston.
Not just because it was the arch-rival of his childhood hero, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, but more so with the presence of Gordon Hayward.
He viewed Howard at the time as a threat to his starting spot and playing time.
“I got drafted, then Gordon Hayward signed with the Celtics,” Tatum said on the “Club 520” podcast on Monday, November 4. “I called my agent, like, ‘Yo, I gotta get traded.’ That was before the NBA Summer League, before I ever played a game [for Boston].”
“He was like, ‘Relax, you gotta chill.’ I’m like, ‘Yo, I’m trying to play. I didn’t get drafted to come off the bench and not start.’ He was like, ‘You’re in a great organization. They’re gonna teach you how to play the right way.’”
In 2017, Hayward left Utah to join Boston in a four-year max deal worth $128 million to reunite with his coach at Butler, Brad Stevens, now the Celtics team president.
Fortunately for the Celtics, Tatum calmed down after his talk with his agent and stayed in Boston.
Tatum’s fears were allayed when Stevens started him alongside Hayward in the Celtics frontcourt. But Hayward suffered a season-ending leg injury in his Celtics debut. Tatum logged a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds) in his first game as a rookie.
And the rest is history.
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Jayson Tatum Sounds Off After Boston Celtics Visit White House