Jayson Tatum grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant and dreaming of sporting the long-lasting Los Angeles Lakers jersey. Nevertheless, when the 2017 NBA Draft arrived, Tatum claims the Lakers, led by then-President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson, confirmed no curiosity, paving the best way for the Boston Celtics to pick out him.
In a latest interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Magic Johnson addressed Tatum’s feedback head-on, setting the report straight about why the Lakers handed on him.
“I needed to handle one thing as a result of I didn’t need us to go with out addressing what Jayson Tatum mentioned, and I needed to ensure I tackle it first in your present, Eddie,” Johnson started. “When he mentioned that he was upset that the Lakers didn’t, I believe, draft him or check out him — no, we took a have a look at him. I used to be the President.”
Nevertheless, Johnson pointed to a logjam on the ahead place as the principle cause they didn’t choose Tatum. “The issue was, Eddie, we have been top-heavy in forwards — I couldn’t take him,” Johnson defined. “We had Brandon Ingram, who was solely in his second yr, Julius Randle, and Larry Nance Jr., so I already had too many forwards.“
Brandon Ingram #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers makes enjoyable of a teammate whereas he poses for pictures with Julius Randle #30 Larry Nance Jr. #7 trying on throughout media day. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Photos)
“There have been already issues as a result of all of them needed to play, and so if I took one other ahead,we might by no means see this Tatum if he had ended up with the Lakers,” Johnson continued. “As a result of he would’ve been sitting on that bench since we already had Julius and Brandon Ingram beginning.”
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Johnson on Tatum’s agent
Johnson additionally make clear Tatum’s pre-draft course of, revealing that his agent had no real interest in arranging a Lakers exercise. “I needed to handle that and let him know sure, we checked out him. However his agent additionally didn’t need us to work him out as a result of he didn’t need him to finish up with the Lakers, understanding we have been already top-heavy with forwards,” Johnson defined.
“See, I used to be there, so I can inform Jayson what actually occurred,” he added. “His agent didn’t need him to work out for us as a result of he knew it wasn’t a great state of affairs since we already had too many forwards.”
What did Jayson Tatum say?
On the Membership 520 Podcast with Jeff Teague, Tatum opened up about his disappointment at not touchdown with the Lakers, recalling how the draft course of unfolded.
“I grew up a Kobe fan. I all the time needed to play for the Lakers,” Tatum revealed. “For them to have the No. 2 choose [in the 2017 NBA Draft], it wasn’t even a thought that I used to be going to get drafted (by them). That was kinda devastating. So, I by no means labored out for the Lakers. They by no means got here to look at me work out.”
Tatum additionally admitted he briefly thought of becoming a member of the Phoenix Suns earlier than his faculty coach, Mike Krzyzewski, satisfied him to rethink Boston’s curiosity. “I keep in mind Coach Okay was like, ‘Boston desires you for a second exercise; you need to go.’ I’m like, ‘They simply got here off the Japanese Convention Finals,’” Tatum mentioned.
“They bought a veteran group. I’m most likely not going to play,” Tatum recounted. “And he was raving about Brad Stevens, ‘Brad is without doubt one of the greatest coaches within the league.’ I went to Boston three days earlier than the draft for one more exercise. The remaining is historical past, and all of it labored out.”
