Jayson Tatum already ranks among the NBA’s top talents, especially after leading the Celtics to a championship last season. But if you ask his trainer, Drew Hanlen, that’s not even close to his ceiling. Hanlen sees something bigger—Tatum isn’t just building a great career, he’s chasing basketball immortality. When it’s all said and done, Hanlen believes Tatum’s name will belong right up there with the game’s all-time legends.

The NBA skills coach didn’t hold back on X, confidently stating, “He’ll be higher than 25th all time… circle back to this tweet in a few years.” Why the ultimate confidence?

Well, it was because Hanlen had witnessed something that had been hidden from all of us for the longest time—never-before-seen footage of Tatum training with none other than the late Kobe Bryant! Okay … back up. How did all of this happen?

Drew just dropped his new book, Stop Bull——– Yourself on Tuesday at TD Garden, where he also unveiled the said unseen footage. “I was shocked,” Tatum shared in the tweet posted by Celtics beat reporter, Daniel Donabedian.

“I remember seeing him walk through the door and being like ‘oh s—…I just couldn’t believe my idol and the person I wanted to be like was here,” JT admitted.

For Jayson Tatum, that moment was huge. If you’ve followed his journey, you know how much he idolized the ‘Black Mamba’. In fact, he once admitted that the Lakers legend was the reason he even picked up a basketball.

“My favorite team were the Lakers,” Tatum had said during a sit-down interview as a rookie. The reigning champ’s admiration for Kobe Bryant has been no secret. He’s studied his game, borrowed his moves, and even wore a purple armband after Bryant’s passing to honor him.

In fact, Jayson revealed last November on Club 520 podcast that he wanted to be drafted by the Lakers. But now his love for the Lakers is over. After the Celtics’ 103-85 win over the Heat, a reporter asked Tatum about Luka Doncic’s impact on young fans now that he’s with the Lakers. The 26-year-old’s response?

“I don’t know. I know a lot of kids watch the Celtics play,” he said dismissively. If that reply wasn’t enough, Tatum clarified things further in his follow-up. “Yeah, it was a big trade and a big change. But I’m not a little kid anymore, so I don’t really watch the Lakers play. I’m a big Celtics fan.”

Well … yeah, nothing more to say, don’t you think? Except, just one thing: JT wasn’t simply all talk and no action. And he’s showing it by taking almost no days off.

Jayson Tatum not only worked out with Kobe physically but also ingrained his ‘Mamba mentality’

While the NBA constantly debates load management, Tatum keeps showing up. The Celtics practically beg him to take a break! But let’s be real—he rarely listens. Monday in Miami was no different. Listed with right knee tendinopathy, he seemed primed for a night off. But when game time rolled around? No chance.

“I guess I’m a little hard-headed,” Tatum admitted after a dominant third quarter. “Maybe it’s a plan to find a game for me to rest or whatever and I might agree to it in the moment, then we get down here and it’s like, ‘F— it, I want to play.’”

Tatum’s always been that guy. A few years ago, he told kids how even a random Monday night in Charlotte mattered to him. Now, even after the Super Bowl, a Monday in Miami? Same deal.

He’s racking up minutes, too—fourth in the league behind Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Anthony Edwards. His 472 third-quarter points trail only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The dude just doesn’t slow down!

Monday was another example. After missing his first five shots, he exploded for 20 points in the third, just days after torching the Knicks for 40. Over his last five games, he’s averaging 13.6 third-quarter points, shooting 67.6% from the field.

The All-Star break won’t be much of a break either. Once the season resumes, Boston has 27 games in 53 days. The Celtics will push him to rest. Will he listen? I think we both know the answer to that.