Jayson Tatum responded to all the jokes made at his expense regarding him mimicking iconic NBA celebrations from former players.
Jayson Tatum spoke in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated about the memes referencing him imitating some of the most iconic celebrations in history. Tatum noted that he had seen the memes, and amusingly conceded defeat to the internet fan community after they made the connection with his celebrations.
“Yeah, I’ve seen them. The internet is a great place. As they say, the internet is undefeated. I’ve had a good time laughing and seeing all the memes and things like that.”
One fan even pointed out how the cover of his Sports Illustrated feature was almost the same as the iconic picture of Leonardo DiCaprio from his 2012 movie ‘The Great Gatsby’.
Tatum was mocked relentlessly by NBA fans for trying to imitate iconic celebrations from NBA legends like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Stephen Curry. It was really funny to see Tatum try and recreate some of these iconic moments in his own image, whether fans liked his performance or not.
Regardless of how anyone feels about it, Tatum had a great season last year. He averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, as he was a key figure in the Celtics winning an NBA championship. While he didn’t win the Finals MVP, Tatum played an important role in their run to the title.
Jayson Tatum not beating the allegations pic.twitter.com/TDTNW5Llyl
— Mink Flow (@currypistonn) July 25, 2024
Tatum got rewarded for his performances and presence in the NBA championship run, with the Celtics offering him a five-year, $315 million contract extension – the largest contract in NBA history. He will now want to make sure the Celtics’ investment in him is rewarded with even more NBA championships in the future.
Jayson Tatum Tries To Show Respect To NBA Legends
Jayson Tatum recently spoke about him wearing the number 10 jersey with Team USA, the same number that Kobe Bryant had during his time with Team USA as well. Tatum noted that it was a huge honor for him to be able to pay tribute to one of his favorite players of all time and the person who inspired him to become a basketball player.
“Nothing short of an honor to be able to represent this uniform and wear number 10. To anybody that remotely knows me knows how much influence that he (Kobe) had on me as a kid and inspired me to reach my goals. It’s definitely something I don’t take for granted or take lightly.”
While Tatum has been respectful of legendary players in the past, he isn’t showing reverence to all of them. In fact, with some players, Tatum actually believes that he can be better than them.
Most recently, Tatum told Kiyan Anthony that he would beat his father, Carmelo Anthony, in a one-on-one game with both players in their prime. Considering Anthony is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, this was certainly a bold claim on the part of Tatum.
Tatum will shift his focus away from NBA legends from the past, and on to the future, as he joins Team USA in Paris, where they look to win their fifth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics. Tatum has the chance to win his second gold medal, something he would love to do after winning an NBA championship.
