Celtics Jayson Tatum talks about being a young father
From dominating the courts to being a dad, the Celtics rising star appears to have his mind focused on what matters most, his son.
Over the course of the 2021-22 NBA season the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum has definitely announced himself to all of us as a brilliant player in the league, but after a recent interview we can now see him as a human being as well.
Jayson Tatum the father
Though it was just a few years back in 2017 when Jayson Tatum was drafted by the Boston Celtics, one could be forgiven for thinking that many more years have passed given how much the young star he’s achieved and how much has happened. Yet of course it’s only obvious that most will think of his exploits on the court over these last few years when perhaps it’s his role off the court that carries even more weight. If you’ve watched any Celtics games in recent times then it’s quite likely that you’ve also caught a glimpse of Deuce Tatum, Jayson’s son. Without doubt Deuce has become as well known in recent times with his hilariously cute antics as his prolific dad.
Interestingly, it was not long after Jayson was drafted at No. 3 overall into the NBA that he welcomed his son into the world on December 6th 2017. Understandably, it was a monumental period in Tatum’s life. At the young age of 19, the Celtics talisman was face with 2 major challenges: How manage the pressures of not just playing a sport professionally, but being a veritable superstar while simultaneously handling the challenges of fatherhood. As is his way, Tatum refused to back down on both counts. “My mindset was not to sacrifice either, that I was going to be the best father as I could as well as the best basketball player.”
Jayson Tatum’s son Deuce is his world
Speaking on his approach to fatherhood, Tatum didn’t hide the fact that being so young himself, he’s growing up alongside his son. “I think 2017 when I got drafted, I didn’t have Deuce, but he was born in 2017, so that was a big - that was, like, the biggest year of my life, right? Starting this new chapter in my career, I just had a child,” Tatum said. “There was no guideline or there was no, you know, exact way to do it. It was all about what was natural. I think that’s what it is. I just do what’s natural. I’m around him every day. I think being able to go through this journey together, because I was 19 when I got drafted, it’s kind of like we’re growing up together. As he’s gotten older, I’m going through my career, sharing these moments, experiencing this together as we grow up.”
An example can be set and Jayson Tatum knows it
With the spotlight firmly set on him, Jayson Tatum readily acknowledges the importance of the example he can set to young fathers out there and it’s something the Celtics star appears to be embracing, rather than hiding from. Indeed, Tatum admitted that he actively tries to showcase his relationship with Deuce in an effort to promote similar behavior in young fathers out there in the wider world. “I think it’s the coolest part for me,” he said.
“I don’t know if it’s intentional as much as it’s just natural and what we do. I realize that I do have a platform and things like that. If I am a role model for young fathers around the world, that’s great. I think we need more role models like that. Just to have more male fathers be present and things like that, show that you can do both, regardless of whenever you work, whatever your profession is.”