Jayson Tatum shared the details of the adorable on-court conversation he had with his son, Deuce, after the athlete won his first NBA championship.
Moments after Tatum, 26, and the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday, June 17, Tatum was greeted by Deuce, 6, as green-and-white confetti rained down on them from the rafters of Boston’s TD Garden.
The emotional interaction was caught on camera by ESPN, which saw Deuce whisper something into his dad’s ear before Tatum lifted his son off the ground for a long embrace.
During Tatum’s postgame press conference, the newly minted NBA champion revealed what the two said to each other.
“He told me that I was the best in the world,” Tatum said. “And I said, ‘You damn right I am.’”
After the game, Deuce was also caught on camera telling his dad he wanted to display the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in his room.
Deuce — who Tatum shares with ex-girlfriend Toriah Lachell — has become a fan favorite with basketball fans, especially in Boston, and has been a constant feature on his dad’s Instagram.
In March, Tatum showed off a photo of Deuce with a youth basketball trophy, captioned: “My favorite hooper.”
Tatum celebrated Deuce’s sixth birthday in December with a carousel of pictures from throughout his son’s life.
“Deuce day! Happy birthday to the coolest 6 year old I know, can’t believe the journey that we have been on together,” Tatum wrote via Instagram. “Continue being the smart, funny, confident, caring, outgoing person you are and continue to push me to be the best person/ dad that I can be. Love you kid ❤️❤️❤️ Deuce & Daddy vs the world 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽.”
After the Celtics victory on Monday night, Tatum revealed what it meant to finally earn his championship ring.
“This is a surreal feeling,” Tatum said in his postgame interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “We did it. We did it! Oh, my God, we did it.”
He continued, “First of all, God is the greatest. Not because we won, but to put me in positions to maximize my God-given ability, to surround me with these guys, my family. This is an incredible feeling. I’m at a loss for words.”
The title was the 18th in Celtics history, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for most of all time.
“We responded all year,” Tatum said. “This is no different. We owed our crowd, our fans. It’s been a long journey.”
