"“I was 19 when Deuce was born, and that was the best thing that could have ever happened to me at 19,” Tatum told Crag Melvin on the May 12 episode of the TODAY co-anchor's “Glass Half Full” podcast. The six-time NBA All-Star, who won a championship with the Celtics in 2024, said he didn't plan on having a baby at that time, noting he was scared of what lay ahead after he left Duke University to pursue a career in the NBA."
"“I was afraid. I was just leaving Duke. I was entering my new career. I was moving to Boston. New profession. I was starting my new life, and now I'm about to be a father,” he said. He said Deuce was “literally born 12 games into my NBA career, and I was nervous.” He said he didn't believe he was prepared for fatherhood."
"“I didn't think I was ready. I wasn't even sure I was excited about that because I was selfishly thinking about myself and my career and what I wanted,” he said. Tatum, though, said everything came into focus once Deuce arrived, and he realized immediately what his name should be. “The moment it changed was when he was born and the doctor handed him to me,” he said."
"“And funny enough, his name - so, you know, obviously his name - nickname is Deuce - Jayson Tatum Jr. That wasn't the plan,” Tatum said. “His name was supposed to be Jackson.” Tatum said Jackson was “just a name that me and his mom came up with,” but it wasn't meant to be. “And I remember holding him, and it just hit me, and it was like, 'Oh, no, this is like, he looks just like me,'” Tatum said."
Jayson Tatum became a father in December 2017 when his son Deuce was born. He was 19 and had not planned on having a baby, feeling afraid after leaving Duke for a new NBA career in Boston. He described Deuce as being born 12 games into his NBA career and said he was nervous and unsure he was ready, focusing on himself and his career goals. He said everything changed when the doctor handed Deuce to him, and he immediately knew what his name should be. Deuce’s nickname is Deuce and he is Jayson Tatum Jr. Tatum said the original plan was to name him Jackson, but the moment Deuce was born made him want him to be a junior.
Read at TODAY.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]