Jayson Tatum gives reason for Kobe Bryant to run 2,000 miles

Jayson Tatum used his day off to visit TNT Studios. In addition to the Celtics, his foundation, his close friendship with Jamal Crawford, and possibly dunking on Shaq, he named his GOAT. To the surprise of no one, I rate Kobe Bryant as the greatest player of all time. His reason is simple. Beans are the inspiration for his play.

“It’s an inspiration thing. "The way he inspired people," Tatum was honest about the differences between Kobe and Michael Jordan. “He inspired people I had never met 2,000 miles away.Just watch him on TV, watch his interviews, see how hard he works

“.

As a Jordan Brand signee, Tatum’s previous GOAT selection in December 2023 went viral. He gave reasons why LeBron James is second only to Michael Jordan in this regard. While his admiration for Jordan is undeniable, he also saw a mentor in Bryant.

Tatum also has a close mentor-mentee relationship with TNT analyst Jamal Crawford. As the TNT co-host describes it, Crawford is Michael Jordan’s biggest fan. This is where Tatum differs from his mentor.

Kobe Bryant’s influence on Jayson Tatum

The five-time All-Star grew up in Missouri and watched Bryant play before entering the league in 2017. black Mamba

In 2007, when he was a kid, he attended his first Lakers game. The photos they took in the arena hallways remain among his most prized possessions.

Jayson Tatum relies on Kobe Bryant as much as he relies on Jamal Crawford. They texted frequently, and Kobe was one of the first people to text him after winning the Eastern Conference Finals. He was naturally devastated by Kobe’s passing and still mentioned that he regretted not talking to him more when he could have. Even though he seemed to feel the void left by Kobe Bryant, he continued to inspire Tatum.

“How he (Kobe Bryant) experienced the ups and downs of his career 2,000 miles away. I saw myself in him, wanting to achieve my dreams, chase my goals, and work as hard as I did because he did those things…”

He knows others may disagree, but it’s his personal choice and said he wouldn’t be where he is today without Kobe. Do you see a little bit of Kobe Bryant in Jayson Tatum?