Why Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Was Born Believing in Himself

ESPN Daily

ESPN

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4.6 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 8 June 2022

⏱️ 35 minutes

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Summary

Now it seems obvious that Jayson Tatum was destined for NBA stardom, the one to watch for the Celtics as they square off against Golden State in Game 3 of the NBA Finals tonight. But Tatum beat the odds on a few levels to get here, thanks in large part to the dedication and relentless confidence of his mom, Brandy Cole. ESPN’s Liz Merrill gives us insight on Tatum’s deepest relationship, and how he grew from the roots planted by his mother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Liz Marral, you've reported for us an origin story about a guy that I have been trying
0:05.3	to learn more about, where he came from what his whole deal is, and that is Jason Tatum,
0:10.7	the star of the Boston Celtics now in the NBA finals, the 24-year-old, that the world
0:15.9	is watching right now.
0:17.6	And you did this with Ramona Shelburne, our colleague, but you don't start this story
0:22.1	like in a gym somewhere.
0:24.1	You started actually before Jason Tatum was even born.
0:27.6	So where does this story begin?
0:30.0	It starts in St. Louis.
0:33.8	It's 1997, the 4th of July.
0:41.7	A young woman named Brandy Cole, who's had a pretty phenomenal high school experience
0:48.7	in which she graduates at the top of her class.
0:52.5	She's the class president, and she's going off to college and to play volleyball.
1:00.4	But on July 4th, Brandy finds out she's pregnant.
1:07.7	And how does she react to this news?
1:13.0	She's shocked.
1:14.9	She's scared.
1:16.4	But the biggest fear she has is telling her mom.
1:23.7	Her mom's name is Kristi Jerse, and Kristi was also young when she found out she was pregnant
1:31.6	with Brandy, and she was also a single mom.
1:34.6	She sacrificed a lot for Brandy to have a better life.
1:41.3	She waited a long time to tell her mom.
	...

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