He is a rookie starter and much is expected, yet as Jayson Tatum warms up with his teammates before his first NBA game, he appears impervious to the noise and the lights and the pulsating anticipation inside Quicken Loans Arena.
I’ve played this game my whole life, Tatum thinks. This is what I do.
He playfully pokes the ball free from fellow Celtic Shane Larkin in the layup line. He launches smooth long-range jumpers in between conversations with his mentor, Kyrie Irving. As the minutes count down before the 2017 tip-off, the fans bellow as the Cavaliers sprint onto the floor. Derrick Rose, the former MVP, leads the charge. Trailing him is Dwyane Wade, the future Hall of Famer. Tatum doesn’t intend to gawk, but as he fixes his gaze on them, his mind wanders.
I wore both of their jerseys growing up, Tatum thinks to himself.
He waits, as the crowd does, for his childhood hero to emerge. James jogs out last, his lips pursed, his jaw set. Tatum searches for a hint of recognition, but James looks straight through him.
“He was so much bigger than I thought,” Tatum says. “I felt like a kid. I mean, I guess I was one. I was only 19. After that, he was the only thing on my mind. As long as I can remember, he’s been the best or one of the best in the league. And that’s when it hit me: ‘That’s LeBron. What am I doing out here?’”
The game unfolds at warp speed. Tatum has an open lane to the hoop and Irving fires the ball into him. Tatum reminds himself to go up strong but not too strong, then elevates with an ease that is initially comforting until … Ah! Too late! Lying in wait is James, who springs up and swats away Tatum’s first NBA offering like it’s an annoying gnat.
Tatum’s NBA career is exactly 69 seconds old. He’s certain this night can’t get any worse, but four minutes after that, teammate Gordon Hayward crumples to the floor, his ankle contorted grotesquely out of its socket, his season over.
Immediately, the Celtics need more from the rookie to hang with the Cavs. Immediately, it is too much. Tatum short-arms a layup. Wade blocks another of his shots. Tatum goes 0-for-5 from the floor in that first half, and his team, in shock from the gruesome injury to Hayward, trails by 16 points.
Justin Tatum winces as he witnesses his son falter. Jayson had been coached by his father from an early age to regroup in moments like this. When he was in fifth grade, Justin threw him into high school scrimmages with college-level talent. Jayson would fail—repeatedly—but eventually recover, then flourish. On this night, in an NBA forum, Justin believes the result will be the same.
“What I wanted to see,” Justin says now, “was for him to fall on his ass, then get back up and do his thing.”
Justin’s faith is rewarded: His son bounces back with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 102-99 Celtics loss. Yet the LeBron block gnaws at Jayson. “You set me up,” he tells Irving after the game. Irving places his hand firmly on Tatum’s shoulder. “You should have dunked it,” he says. Tatum nods. He knows Irving is right.
“That,” he says, “was the last time I was nervous the rest of the season.”
THE CELTICS ARE the favorites to win the Eastern Conference this season, and Jayson Tatum’s trajectory is a significant reason for that optimism. The Celtics have emerged as a relatively conflict-free collection of rising stars, with Tatum and his uncommon poise representing the epitome of their potential.
The challenge will be how to continue his progression on a team with so many talented veterans who need shots too. Tatum is in a hurry to be great, but he might have to wait his turn on a roster that already features Irving and Hayward.
“He’s very composed,” teammate Al Horford says. “It’s weird to see someone that young pull that off.”
He was not born that way. Tatum’s unflappable demeanor has been cultivated by two vigilant parents, both college athletes, who raised Jayson separately but who were united in molding their son’s future. Yet even they could not have envisioned how quickly his maturation process would need to accelerate. In rapid succession, he was asked to become an integral part of a contending NBA lineup, became a father before his 20th birthday and now has to live up to the sophomore NBA hype that has landed him coveted endorsements that include Gatorade, NBA2K, Fanatics and Beats.
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
Who Is The Future Of U.S. Women's Soccer?
Introducing the marvelous Mallory Pugh
Marks of Strength
A catastrophic accident took so much from Seth Hanchey, including his ability to speak. Weightlifting gave so much back: the motivation to recover, the drive to compete, the power to inspire. Here, his mother tells his story.
Ninja, The Biggest Gamer In The World
How did Ninja become gaming’s first crossover star? The Fortnite legend is relentless about one thing: He’s always on.
The Greatest Dad On Earth
The Lakers are poised to be an NBA high-wire act. So what better place to prep their new big man, JaVale McGee, and his baby girl than at circus school?
NFL- The Smart Money Is On Defensive Backs
Slot Machine Miami placed a premium on inside coverage when it used a top pick on Minkah Fitzpatrick. If a team is smart, it will follow the Dolphins’ lead.
'I Want To Make Her Proud'
Devastated by the suicide of his older sister earlier this year, 49ers defensive end Solomon Thomas opens up about his lossÑand shares his newfound dedication to fighting America’s mental health crisis. —AS TOLD TO MOLLY KNIGHT
How Pitchers Get A Grip On Hand Woes
Pickle juice? Superglue? Peeing on their digits? This is the gripping tale of how far pitchers go to get an upper hand.
Ready For Prime Time
He is a rookie starter and much is expected, yet as Jayson Tatum warms up with his teammates before his first NBA game, he appears impervious to the noise and the lights and the pulsating anticipation inside Quicken Loans Arena.
Breaking Big
Ken Roczen thought he might never race again after two horrific crashes. But his incredible comeback is almost here.
Novak Djokovic's Return To The Elite
In the spring, he was in the worst slump of his career. Two grand slams later, he’s back to No. 1. Writer Michael Steinberger takes us inside Djokovic’s return to the elite.
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro + Mouse Dock Pro Bundle
Is this the peripheral combo your desktop needs?
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
High-tidelity audio ina gaming headset—sounds like a recipe for success
Becoming more flexible
A love letter to the most versatile gadget around
Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti Incoming
WHEN NVIDIA OFFICIALLY announced its Ada Lovelace architecture, it revealed plans for three graphics cards: RTX 4090 as the king of the hill at $1,599; RTX 4080 16GB as the step-down prince for $1,199; and the RTX 4080 12GB at $899. To say people weren’t pleased with the pricing and specs would be an understatement. Nvidia “unlaunched” the 4080 12GB, stating that “having two GPUs with the 4080 designation is confusing.”
HyperX SoloCast
Give your live streaming and conference calling an upgrade on a budget
RAPTOR LAKE GETS A REFRESH
Intel to get one iteration in before Meteor Lake
GIGABYTE EMBRACES ARC
ANOTHER GRAPHICS PARTNER FOR INTEL OFFERS SUPPORT
LG'S CURVED BEAUTY
240Hz of gaming perfection
New GeForce Cards
Three new ones have landed, plus a retread
Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Red Leader, standing by