BOSTON (AP) 鈥� Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum spent part of his Father鈥檚 Day thinking about how his son made him a better person 鈥� and probably a better basketball player, too.
Speaking at practice the day before Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Tatum acknowledged that he was 鈥渁 little selfish鈥� when he learned, as a teenager still in college with hopes of basketball stardom, that he would be a father.
鈥淚鈥檇 be the first to say I wasn鈥檛 super-thrilled to find out I was going to be a dad, and quickly realized that it was the best thing that ever could have happened to me. ,鈥� Tatum said Sunday. 鈥淚鈥檓 a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.鈥�
Now 26 and in his seventh season, Tatum is a five-time All-Star who has led Boston to the Eastern Conference finals five times and to the NBA Finals twice. The Celtics lead the Dallas Mavericks 3-1 in the best-of-seven series; after missing their first chance to clinch a title on Friday, they have a second shot at an unprecedented 18th championship banner on Monday night.
Tatum had just turned 19 and was in his only year at Duke when he learned his girlfriend at the time was pregnant.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 ecstatic,鈥� Tatum said Sunday. 鈥淚 was a little selfish at that point because I knew that I was about to go chase my dream and be in the NBA. I felt like that was going to affect what people thought of me, affect where I went in the draft.鈥�
Tatum was picked No. 3 overall by the Celtics, and Jayson Tatum Jr. 鈥� familiar around the Celtics as 鈥淒euce鈥� 鈥� was born in December of his father鈥檚 rookie season. Having a son helped the NBA star manage the expectations of his new wealth and fame, and the temptations that came along with them, too.
鈥淚t taught me a sense of responsibility,鈥� Tatum said. 鈥淣obody can help you or prepare you for what it鈥檚 like to be 19 and have millions of dollars.
鈥淎nd I think 鈥� not that I think, I know 鈥� that having Deuce at that age grounded me. Because whatever decision I wanted to make, I had to make sure that he was taken care of. I couldn鈥檛 just up and go or do everything that some of my peers were doing because I had to go home and put him to bed. Or for Father鈥檚 Day weekend I was going out of town, or I had to skip out on this trip with my friends because it was my weekend with him.
鈥淣ot that it鈥檚 a sacrifice. I willingly would choose those things. But it has taught me a sense of responsibility 鈥� as well as just making the right decisions, knowing that there鈥檚 a 6-year-old 鈥榤ini me鈥� essentially watching everything that I do and knowing that I have to be the best version of myself. I have to make the right decisions, because he鈥檚 always watching.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press
