“I Wanted to Be Like Him”: Jayson Tatum Reveals the NCAA Star Who Inspired His Splendid Career

“I wanted to be like him.” That’s what the Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum revealed about his idol when asked to. While basketball is a fiercely competitive sport, it is these bondings that create an icon. When teenagers play ball in their backyard imitating their favorite players. Tatum too like every sensation has influenced a generation while being inspired by others.

The 25-year-old recently divulged his source of inspiration that surprised a lot many fans. Tatum in his heartfelt moment got vulnerable with the media which showed his humility despite his magnanimous achievements. 

What did Tatum say?

A YouTube short made rounds on the internet in which parallels were drawn between Tatum and his idol Jabari Parker. Tatum himself was seen professing his reverence for Parker and how he wanted to be like him. Tatum also revealed a reason behind his commitment to the Duke which not many know. “I did see he had a buzzer beater the other day. I wanted to be like him. He was the reason you know I went to Duke,” Tatum quipped.

Going with the visual Parker could be seen dropping a buzzer-beater for his latest team FC Barcelona. On the other hand, the visuals were merged with the video of Tatum basketing a buzzer-beater for the Celtics. Both of them could also be seen lifting a Duke t-shirt with pride and showing it on the camera.

Parker had committed to the Duke for the 2013-14 season. He had shown exceptional game acumen and ball-handling skills as a fresher. He had a brilliant display both in his offensive and defensive skills. Potting 19.1 points per game and complementing them with 8.7 rebounds per match, Parker was awarded the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. He was drafted in the 2014 NBA draft for the Milwaukee Bucks. And the parallels don’t end with the video.

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Tatum too selected the Duke Blue Devils but only plied his trade for a singular season from 2016-17. While Parker had made it to the Final team All ACC, Tatum could only manage to be included in the Third-team All-ACC. Tatum averaged a decent 16.8 points per game with 7.3 rebounds per contest in the one season he played for the Duke. But fans would be hoping that Tatum does not meet the same end as Parker did in the NBA.

What went wrong with Parker?

Parker was a prodigy in the NBA and spent his last two seasons with the Celtics. He wasn’t a regular since he could only play 24 games during the 2021 and 2022 seasons as per Boston.com. He battled injuries quite early in his career, suffering an ACL tear during his rookie season. In 2017, Parker suffered his second ACL tear post which he never played more than 40 games in an NBA season.

Hopefully, Tatum will be able to carry over Parker’s legacy in the NBA and also avoid any major injury that hampers his career. 

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