Jayson Tatum Reflects On Being Passed Up By The Lakers In The Draft

Jayson Tatum has made his love for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers known throughout the NBA Playoffs.

During his performance in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat, Tatum revealed that he sent a DM to Kobe with a simply message.

“I got u”

Boston Celtics Superstar Jayson Tatum Shares Text He Sent Kobe Bryant Prior to Game 7 Against the Miami Heathttps://t.co/ktCgBpzkG2

— SideAction (@SideActionHQ) May 31, 2022

So when Jayson Tatum was a top draft prospect back in the day and saw the Lakers had the #2 overall pick, he must’ve been excited, right?

Well, sure enough Tatum was hoping to get selected by his favorite team where his idol dominated for so many years, but he never got much interest.

“The Lakers were my favorite team, and Kobe was my favorite player,” Tatum said via CBS Sports. “So it was crazy that the Lakers had the second pick and I was so close to a dream come true. But it was just like they didn’t want anything to do with me at the time.”

In the end, both the Lakers and Sixers paid the price for passing up on Jayson Tatum.

Philly went with Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick, and LA ended up landing on Lonzo Ball. Neither still plays for either team.

As Jayson Tatum looks to bring a title home to Boston, it seems like everything ended up working out perfectly for him in the end.

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