All we know is the place that Jayson Tatum found for himself in the NBA world. But not many of us know the journey that the Boston Celtics superstar underwent to reach the heights of success. There’s no doubt that the reigning champ put countless hours at the gym. But, at the same time, JT had to deal with a tough childhood. Living with his single mother, the superstar had to put up with his father’s toughness once in a while. However, on the brighter side, Tatum did learn a lesson for his son.

In the latest Netflix sports docuseries, Starting 5, the hoop nation had a closer look at the Celts’ forward’s personal life off the court. There are plenty of moments in the show that left a tear in the eye. One such moment is when JT’s father, Justin Tatum, spoke about his parenting style. Importantly, he admitted to being a tough father, almost aligning with the allegation of being abusive.

Speaking of parenting, Justin Tatum said, “I was a little harsh and tough on him at times, but it was for the fact that I needed him to understand that life is not gonna be easy. And so if you wanna love this game, put your all into it.” It looks like Tatum Sr. may have downplayed his parenting style. Not long ago, in an interview with Graham Bensinger Jayson Tatum accused his father of abusing him physically in public.

Amid this questionable parenting, Jayson Tatum did learn a lesson: how not to be his dad. The superstar’s mother, Brandy Barnes, revealed Tatum’s plans for his son, Deuce, in the docuseries. She said, “He (JT) always said, ‘When I have my own son, I’m gonna, you know, do it a different way.'” Undoubtedly, the Celts star is living by his words, as we see glimpses of a wholesome father-son bond on camera.

A small peep into Jayson Tatum’s fatherly bond with Deuce

Jayson Tatum welcomed Jayson “Deuce” Christopher Tatum Jr. to the world on December 6, 2017, along with his ex-girlfriend, Toriah Lachell. Just like his dad, Deuce also had to grow up in a single-parent household. However, he had his loving granny, Brandy Barnes, to fulfill the absence of a mother.

The latest docuseries did show a lot about the father-son bond. Notably, one particular episode had a wholesome story. It was the Christmas Day game in Los Angeles. The Boston Celtics were scheduled the take on the LakeShow, breaking the NBA tradition where the previous season’s Finals match-up was supposed to take place.

Jayson Tatum already expressed his disappointment for not accompanying Deuce on Christmas. But, he made sure that the 6-year-old made it to the game with his granny. Unfortunately, Brandy missed her flight and had to take an alternate flight to make it to the game. Tatum, who was anticipating his son, kept looking at the empty courtside seats helplessly and even underperformed. As magical as the story turns, Deuce shows up at half-time, instantly lightening up his father’s mood. Guess what, the Celts went on to win the game despite a deficit at half time. Truly a wholesome father-son tale.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.