LOOK: Jayson Tatum shares touching tribute, message to late Kobe Bryant
After the Boston Celtics won the Eastern Conference Finals, Jayson Tatum shared a pre-game message he sent to the late Kobe Bryant. Tatum shared the image of his phone’s text history with Bryant, showing a message sent before Game 7 on Sunday that simply read “I got you today.”
Tatum was extremely close to Bryant before his passing, and their relationship continues to inspire the former Duke star as he excels at the NBA level.
Jayson Tatum’s message to Kobe Bryant
Tatum and Bryant forged a tight bond after Tatum joined the NBA ranks, as the pair worked out together over the off-season for the first few years of his career with the Celtics. Bryant was Tatum’s favorite NBA player growing up, and being able to work out with his idol and learning from the NBA legend set Tatum up for success as he continued to work hard.
With Bryant no longer with him, Tatum made sure to put forth an effort worthy of his mentor and idol — 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a Game 7 victory on Sunday to earn a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time in his career. Tatum’s work in the series earned him the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy for being named Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
The Celtics are now playing in their first NBA Finals in over a decade, and are seeking their first title since the 2007-08 season with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Tatum is among the young star core the Celtics have built and are led by first-year coach Ime Udoka.
In addition to Tatum’s personal pre-game message to Bryant, he honored the NBA legend on the court as well by wearing a purple and gold “24” armband — a tribute to Bryant’s jersey number with the Los Angeles Lakers.