Celtics’ Jayson Tatum explains dunk over LeBron James

It turns out that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James made young Jayson Tatum cry a long time ago. The Boston Celtics star explained how James made him cry when he was just a kid.

Tatum explained how James made him cry when he was 11 years old.

“Larry Hughes is my dad’s best friend. They (James and Hughes) played together for the Cavs. My mom took me to a game in Memphis. I wanted to meet LeBron and I wanted to take a picture with him and get an autograph, and there were a lot of people there, and he said, ‘I’m leaving. I have to go,’ and I got in the car and I started crying,” Tatum said, via the NBA’s X account.

He later clarified that he and LeBron are “cool” now. James later found out and asked if that was the reason Tatum dumped him in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals. Tatum said it was “the backlash.”

That’s a reference to the game in which Tatum dunked over James during the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, during James’ final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jaylen Brown praises LeBron James after Bronny’s comments

As the Lakers and Celtics squared off during Summer League on July 15, Jaylen Brown was caught giving his real opinion on Bronny James. In short, he said he didn’t think James was an NBA player.

Brown then took to his personal X account to praise LeBron and express his optimism about Bronny.

“Having your son by your side in the NBA is a challenge, it shows greatness and longevity! Bronny has all the tools to be successful. I look forward to watching his growth,” Brown posted.

The Lakers drafted Bronny with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Bronny comes to the NBA 21 years after James was the first overall pick. Because Bronny didn’t have the best freshman year at USC, averaging 4.8 points and shooting 36.6% from the field and 26.7% from three, many believe nepotism played a role in his being drafted.

It’s entirely possible that Bronny’s NBA tenure won’t last any longer than his father’s time in the league. Still, it’s a rare feat for the NBA to see a father and son play together. LeBron has managed to stay good long enough to get the chance to play for his son no matter what.

LeBron James signs two-year deal: report

Although James hit free agency in 2024, there was no doubt he would return to the Lakers. When he did, he signed a two-year, $104 million contract.

That may have indicated how much longer he wants to play in the NBA. Since he’s playing out West, the Celtics will face James four more times before he retires. That’s if the Celtics and Lakers don’t meet in the NBA Finals. While it’s unlikely, it can’t be ruled out until one of them is eliminated from the playoffs.

James has a long history with the Celtics. He has played against them seven times in the playoffs, and he has faced no team more times in the playoffs than the Celtics.