Jayson Tatum sparks controversy with T-shirt choice ahead of Lakers game
May 15, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates during the second half of their win over the Milwaukee Bucks in game seven of the second round of the 2022 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
If Jayson Tatum wanted to get people talking before Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, he certainly succeeded.
The Boston Celtics star Tatum arrived to the game wearing a controversial outfit. He showed up in a T-shirt of the late Kobe Bryant … wearing Celtics gear. The image depicted on the shirt was a real one from when Bryant worked out for the Celtics before he was drafted in 1996.
Jayson Tatum arrived to Celtics-Lakers wearing a shirt of Kobe Bryant in Celtics gear 👀pic.twitter.com/dFTc5Uzpob
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 29, 2023
Tatum’s T-shirt of Bryant, a Lakers legend, unsurprisingly did not sit well with Lakers fans, especially ahead of a game against the purple and gold. Thursday also marked the three-year anniversary of Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash, adding another layer of sensitivity (though Tatum may have been paying tribute to Bryant with the anniversary in mind).
We know that Tatum looked up to Bryant and had a close mentor-mentee relationship with him before Bryant’s death. Tatum also went viral in last year’s playoffs for an unusual Bryant-inspired move.
