“I never had Plan B!” Jayson Tatum on Kobe Bryant’s MASTERCLASS to kid’s camp that stuck with him

Jayson Tatum reveals what Kobe Bryant once said that stuck with him.

“I never had Plan B!” Jayson Tatum on Kobe Bryant’s MASTERCLASS to kid’s camp that stuck with him

Jayson Tatum and Kobe Bryant (Credits: TEAMTRI and Celtic Blog)

Jayson Tatum isn’t insecure about talking about the people who helped him realize his dream of being an NBA player. A teenage Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics against LeBron James‘ Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs. Tatum recently disclosed on the ‘Point Forward’ podcast that everyone was watching at the time, including the legendary Kobe Bryant.

Among the athletes he looks up to is the late Kobe Bryant. He left a last message when Jayson was younger. The star player for the Boston Celtics recently discussed how Bryant inspired him when he was younger on the “Point Forward” podcast. Tatum said it inspired him to follow his dreams of playing in the NBA by the message his favorite player shared.

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Jayson Tatum said that during his childhood he went to a camp. Kobe was there and was talking to the children present. They were speaking to what they wanted to be when they grew up. Subsequently, he asked the children:

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What's your second option?

Everyone had a backup plan. And then Kobe gave them a strange look and said:

Man, I never had a Plan B. Spread your eggs among several baskets.

After that, Jayson admired Kobe and how he gave them advice. Kobe’s remarks struck him deeply. He clarifies that he continues to abide by Kobe’s words and that he has no such backup plan in mind. He also discusses what he would do if someone asked him. He responds:

Like, I was 50 Cent, 'Get Rich or Die Tryin'.' Like, a league or die trying, and I lived by that.

Jayson Tatum once trained with Kobe Bryant

After his rookie campaign, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum worked out with Kobe Bryant, which, predictably, turned into an unforgettable experience. In an All the Smoke episode, he talked about the opportunity. Bryant noticed Tatum’s rapid rise to popularity as one of the best young wing scorers in the game after the Boston Celtics selected him in the 2017 NBA Draught.

Jayson Tatum and Kobe Bryant
Jayson Tatum and Kobe Bryant (Credits: Silver Screen and Roll)

The Lakers legend trained the youthful Celtics star during the offseason and Bryant’s ESPN show featured his film analysis. Jayson described how Kobe would look for the little things that no one else would notice. Jayson said:

I was like a kid in a candy store. I kept talking to myself like, ‘I’m working out with Kobe.’ I couldn’t believe it at the time. The little things that he would think about that I never really heard anyone else in how they approach the game.

Tatum, the third overall pick in the 2017 draft, had a terrific rookie campaign. He scored 13.9 points per game, but he improved significantly over the next two seasons. After Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash in January, he shared a heartfelt Instagram post with multiple images of the Hall of Famer and himself.

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