Jayson Tatum certainly stirred up the Lakers fans and caught the attention of everyone watching when he showed up to Saturday‘s game against the Los Angeles Lakers wearing a T–shirt of late NBA legend, Kobe Bryant.
As if this was not enough of a shock, the shirt depicted Bryant wearing Boston Celtics gear. It was a real image from when Bryant worked out for the Celtics prior to being drafted in 1996.
Jayson Tatum arrived to Celtics-Lakers wearing a shirt of Kobe Bryant in Celtics gear 👀pic.twitter.com/dFTc5Uzpob
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 29, 2023
Tatum and Bryant had a close mentor-mentee relationship before the latter’s passing and the Celtics star had looked up to him. Last year too, Tatum went viral after a unique move in the playoffs inspired by Bryant.
The Celtics star has always been vocal about his admiration for Bryant, even in the face of strong criticism from Lakers fans. Tatum is not the only one to have expressed his admiration for the Lakers legend in a unique way.
Recently, LeBron James, who was a close friend of Bryant, got a tattoo of the late NBA star on his leg.
For the game, Tatum played a great game, scoring 31 points and helping the Celtics get the win over the Lakers. The game was an important one for both teams and the T–shirt had people talking, but in the end, it was the play on the court that made the most impact.
At the end of the day, Tatum‘s intention was to honor the memory of Kobe Bryant. He may have chosen a bold way to do it, but it was a fitting tribute to the three–year anniversary of his death. His actions will be remembered, and we can all take a lesson from Tatum‘s courage to express his admiration and respect.
