Jayson Tatum shares his thoughts on playing the Lakers ahead of Friday night’s match up against Los Angeles. Tatum says that as a kid, it’s these types of games you dream about playing in and you don’t take for granted.
The Boston Celtics fell to the Hawks on Wednesday night, but Jayson Tatum didn't leave Atlanta empty-handed.
That's because veteran Hawks guard Lou Williams gave Tatum his game-worn jersey which included a hand-written message for the Celtics All-Star, according to Tatum's Snapchat.
Forsberg: How can Celtics fix their most glaring weakness?
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Here's a photo of the jersey, which Tatum showed off on his Snapchat late Wednesday night:
"To: J.T. My dawg, Much love," Williams wrote on the jersey.
Jersey swaps are common practice in the NBA and a sign of respect for opposing players, so it was cool to see Williams show Tatum some love. While Williams has never made an All-Star team, he's a three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year and the league's all-time leader in points scored off the bench over a 15-plus-year career with six different teams. So, he knows talent when he sees it.
Boston Celtics
Find the latest Boston Celtics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Tatum already has become a household name in his own right and delivered a strong performance Wednesday night in Atlanta, dropping 34 points on 12 of 22 shooting with nine rebounds and five assists.
Tatum also has the respect of his upcoming opponent: Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James declared the 23-year-old an "absolute problem" back in February 2020. Tatum's Celtics and James' Lakers face off Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET at TD Garden.