Sometimes, the memories push the athletes to drive their games emotionally in extreme conditions. It seems that’s what Jayson Tatum unleashed on that poster dunk against then-Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals. When the then-Celtics rookie was asked about that dunk during the post-match conference, he was absolutely chill about it, citing it as an emotional response to scoring. However, 6 years after that incident, it seems that the one on the victim’s end, King James, figured the reason out.

Now that they’re playing together, representing Team USA at the Paris Olympics, Jayson Tatum reveals the untold story behind that dunk to his childhood idol.

As he was signing a few basketballs for his fans, he reminisced how an 11-year-old Jayson Tatum was in Memphis to see his superstar, Bron. If we try to calculate the exact timeline of the events, it could very well be the December 8, 2009 matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Cleveland Cavaliers. On that cold night, little JT with his godfather Larry Hughes, who was also James’ former Cavs teammate, went on to meet the emerging MVP. “I wanted to meet LeBron and wanted to get a picture with him and an autograph. And there was a lot of people back there.”

Unfortunately, King James could not clock enough time to respect his little fan’s wishes and went away from there. As Tatum revealed LeBron‘s statement that read, “I’m out. I gotta go.”

Though LeBron avoided directly saying no, it did hurt Tatum at the time. “I got in the car and started crying”. And even when Tatum told him the truth in the locker room, the Lakers forward was surprised to hear when he said, “He asked for my autograph and I didn’t give him that? When was that?” Tatum hilariously confessed his age, revealing, “I was like 11 years old.”

But King James recalled a not-so-amicable incident between him and Tatum on the court in 2018 and connected the dots further, asking, “That’s why you dunked on me, though? That’s why you dunked on me in the Conference Finals?“

Interestingly, the Celtics star was so engrossed in the moment of dunk that he yelled dreadfully, bumping his chest into the Cavs forward. Even Tatum, in the present day, confessed his feelings to LeBron, responding, “It’s the get-back,” giggling at his nuisance of the youth. Nevertheless, some of you might be wondering why LeBron still remembers that dunk so much. Well, let’s get you a little de-tour of that buzzed-about shot.

What was so special about Jayson Tatum’s 2018 dunk over LeBron James?

The overall 3rd pick from the 2017 NBA Draft class, Jayson Tatum, was someone the Celtics wanted in the future as their star. However, he did not get that flashy chance to claim the Celtics crowd for his presence in the basketball world. However, the opportunity did not test his patience long since he got the chance to get his first poster shot at the Eastern Conference Finals. Down the fourth quarter, when his team was trailing by four points in Game 7 of the NBA semi-finals, Tatum sensed his moment and went for a dunk, going past Tristan Thompson and Kyle Korver.

It was at that point that he noticed King James under the rim and probably went back in time to this memory from when he was 11 years old. The adrenaline raged as the ball went past the net, and Tatum roared toward the TD Garden crowd, declaring his future legacy for the fans. And the chest bump that followed the dunk was just a way of letting the heat out for Tatum.

However, it etched his presence in the East, and James might know what was about to come. Surprisingly, after the NBA Finals that year, King James signed the Los Angeles Lakers to move ahead with his new ambitions. Intuitively, it looks like James sensed Tatum’s aura and chose to move forward for a better contender than being crushed under young shoulders. How much will you rate that dunk from Jayson Tatum? Let us know in the comments.

Before you go, do not forget to check out Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, to open up about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud. Keep checking this space for more such updates.