Why Celtics’ Jayson Tatum was ‘shocked’ before working out with late Kobe Bryant
Celtics star Jayson Tatum will never forget what it was like to share the court with Kobe Bryant.
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has had a lot of great days on the basketball court. And although the reigning NBA champion has experienced plenty of exciting moments in the playoffs and Olympics, one of his favorite on-court moments wasn’t during a game, but rather a workout.
In the summer of 2018, Tatum got the opportunity to train with his basketball inspiration, the late Kobe Bryant. Despite the fact that Bryant was a Los Angeles Lakers legend, the biggest rival of the Celtics, Tatum was thrilled. He’d discussed meeting up with Bryant in California following his rookie season, however, he knew his favorite player was a busy man.
Nevertheless, Tatum texted Bryant that he’d be in the L.A. area and said he’d love to get a workout in. Bryant didn’t respond right away, yet he agreed—much to Tatum’s surprise. The now six-time All-Star still remembers where he was when he read that message from his idol, as he recalled his feelings during a promotional event on Feb. 11 for NBA skills trainer Drew Hanlen’s new book, “Stop Bullsh****** Yourself.”
“When [Bryant answered], I remember I was still on the plane,” he reminisced. “I was shocked.”
Hanlen, who’s worked closely with Tatum for several years, then shared an exclusive clip of his biggest client with Bryant.
Drew Hanlen shares some footage of Jayson Tatum working out with Kobe Bryant for the first time. “I was shocked,” Tatum said. “I remember seeing him walk through the door and being like ‘oh sh*t…I just couldn’t believe my idol and the person I wanted to be like was here.”
“I was thrilled. It was a full circle moment,” Tatum said of the meeting. “I used to watch all his games, I used to watch all his YouTube clips. I would watch his commercials, I would watch his interviews.”
Tragically, Bryant passed away in 2020, shocking the basketball world. The Hall of Famer left an indelible mark on Tatum and many other hoopers around the world.
“I just couldn’t believe that my idol and the person I wanted to be like was there to work me out,” he stated. “It’s hard to put into words. You just had to be there. You had to be in my shoes. I’ve been watching basketball since I was 4. So 16 years later, I finally get to meet the person who inspired me to play this game the way I did. It’s an incredible feeling.”
While Bryant’s resume is extremely difficult to match, Tatum is already on his way to an impressive career. The three-time All-NBA First Teamer won his first title last June and became No. 9 on the Celtics’ legendary all-time scoring list less than a week before the 2025 All-Star break. He’s currently averaging 27 points, 8.7 rebounds, and a career-high 5.6 assists per game during the 2024-25 campaign.
But no matter how many accolades Tatum racks up, he will never forget what went through his head when he shared the court with Bryant almost seven years ago.
“This is one of the best days of my life,” he remembered thinking.
In the present, Tatum will try to steer his Celtics towards back-to-back championships, something Bryant did three times in his 20-year career. The C’s sit in second place in the Eastern Conference and will have a chance to become just the third team to reach 40 wins this season during a showdown with the rival Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
Daniel Donabedian is a beat reporter for ClutchPoints covering the Boston Celtics. He’s also covered Villanova men’s basketball (where he went to school) and Big East basketball for SB Nation, building a strong reputation in the northeast.
