Exclusive: "He challenged me in some harsh ways and tough ways as a kid" - Jayson Tatum on his relationship with his father shaping his journey, ahead of his Finals trip with Boston Celtics against Golden State

Jayson Tatum remembers growing up in St. Louis watching the NBA Finals as a kid dreaming of playing one day.

The series Tatum perhaps remembers the most from his childhood? The Golden State Warriors' 2015 NBA Finals Championship run. Go figure, the very team he will face beginning in Game 1 on Thursday night.

Jayson Tatum reflects on his childhood in build-up to the Finals

“They won in 2015, right. I had just finished my junior year and David Lee was on that team. David Lee is from St. Louis and we went to the same high school,” Tatum reflected upon before the start of the NBA Finals. “So yeah, I've been watching them for a very long time”.

The Boston Celtics star has finally arrived at the NBA Finals, the stage he has dreamed about since he was in elementary school. Despite building this moment up, it’s hard for Tatum to pick one moment that stands out the most.

“One moment? It's tough to choose one moment. I just kind of revert it back to being a kid, watching the finals every year growing up. Every kid can imagine themselves being in the NBA and being in the Finals, but actually living out your dream in real time is a surreal feeling. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself, right. I walk in, I see this backdrop and it's like, damn, I am in the Finals. So I'm just trying to take all this in and just enjoy the moment”, Tatum said before facing the Warriors in San Francisco.

When Tatum was a young kid growing up he was told to pick a more realistic career when he told an infront teacher of a full elementary school class that he wanted to be an NBA player.

This is all Tatum has wanted, a chance to play in the NBA and a shot at winning the NBA Title.

Father Tatum and his influence on Jayson's life and career

Tatum has worked at it with help from coaches and his father Justin Tatum, who not only played colleiagtley at Saint Louis University but is now a coach at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis.

Justin was a pretty good player at SLU for the Bilikens and helped them make the NCAA Tournament in 2000. As good as he was on the court, coaching and helping his son was his calling and something Tatum is very appreciative of to this day as he preps for his first NBA Finals.

“Yeah, me and my dad, we talk all the coaches challenged me in some harsh ways and tough ways as a kid. I definitely give him credit; I wouldn't be here without him and how hard he pushed me to the extreme a lot of times. It might have been tough on our father/son relationship, but I wouldn't change it because obviously the man I grew into and the player”, Tatum said before the start of the finals.

Justin will play the role of fan during the NBA Finals as he is expected to be in San Francisco and Boston for the entire best-of-seven series.

Justin, who still likes to play in pick up games in the St. Louis area and has a great eye for the game, as a coach for one of the best high school programs in the state of Missouri might have a few suggestions for his son but he’s here to cheer him on, rather than play coach like he did earlier in his career.

2022 NBA Finals - Tatum set for first NBA Finals apperarnace after watching Warriors win as a kid in St. Louis

“But yeah, since I've gotten to the NBA, he's much more of a fan, much more of a parent, not really coaching me and things like that”, Tatum said.

There’s no question Justin is proud of the player Jayson has become.

Tatum was named to the NBA’s First Team All-NBA after his season where he averaged 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game and is the first Celtic to be named to the NBA’s First Team All-NBA since Kevin Garnett during the 2007-08 season.

Heading into the NBA Finals, Tatum is the second youngest player in NBA history to score 1,500 playoff points behind Kobe Bryant.

The 3-time All-Star wants more, he’s driven to win his first NBA Championship.