Jayson Tatum Tells LeBron About Being Bought to Tears After Failing to Score Autograph From Him at Age 11: 'We Cool Now'
The Team USA players can laugh about the moment now, not to mention playfully connect it to a certain dunk from 2018.
Jayson Tatum was once brought to tears after failing to score an autograph from LeBron James.
In a short video recently shared to official NBA channels, Tatum, fresh off inking a historic five-year extension deal with the Celtics, looked back on the moment, which he says occurred when he was around 11 years old.
"Crazy thing is, Bron told me no," Tatum says at the top of the clip. From there, the five-time NBA All-Star is seen recounting the story with his fellow Team USA player LeBron nearby.
Per Tatum, the tears-inducing encounter took place at a game in Memphis.
"Larry Hughes is my dad's best friend," JT, whose father is former pro player and current NBL coach Justin Tatum, said. "They played on the Cavs together. My mom took me to a game in Memphis. I wanted to meet LeBron and I wanted to get a picture with him and an autograph. There was a lot of people back there. He was like, 'I’m out. I gotta go.' And I got in the car and started crying. But we cool now."
Hearing the story for the first time, LeBron, who will soon be seen on the court alongside his son Bronny, joked about an oft-mentioned moment from his and JT's past.
"That’s why you dunked on me in the conference finals," the Lakers icon said, referencing the below highlight from a 2018 ECF game.
We're now roughly a month out from the Jayson Tatum Foundation Charity Golf Tournament and Silent Auction in the 26-year-old Duke Blue Devils alum's hometown of St. Louis. This year's event, presented by the Jordan brand, marks the fourth iteration of the annual fundraising event.
