Basketball royalty meets new prince of soccer as Jayson Tatum swaps jerseys with Real Madrid-bound wonderkid Endrick

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics outplayed the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday in a home game, with Brazilian soccer talent Endrick also present at TD Garden. The dazzling night saw the two stars come together to share a moment as Tatum swapped signed jerseys with Palmeiras forward Endrick before the game.

The Brazillian, soon to become a Real Madrid player, attended the game in an all-white outfit.

Endrick is 17 and is already considered one of the best talents in the world. In December 2022, he signed with soccer giant Real Madrid for an undisclosed amount. He is bound to join the club in July 2024 once he turns 18.

The Celtics maintained their perfect home record after the 120-113 win against the Cavs. They are the only team in the NBA still undefeated at home. After Tuesday's win, their winning streak extended to 11-0 at TD Garden.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both scored 25 points. Kristaps Porzingis also came big on the night and added 21 points and 10 rebounds. Despite game-high 29 points from Donovan Mitchell and 26 points from Darius Garland, the Cavaliers could not overcome the Celtics hump.

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Jayson Tatum gets honest about dunking on LeBron James as a rookie

It is amazing how far Jayson Tatum has come in the NBA since his rookie year. He has emerged as one of the most trusted superstars in the league. However, there has never been a doubt about his potential since he set foot on the NBA court.

Perhaps the earliest evidence was his playoff performance in 2018 when he was the focus of the Celtics’ offense in the absence of Kyrie Irving. Moreover, with his dunk on the great LeBron James in WCF Game 7, Tatum gave hope to the Celtics. That was not it; after the dunk, he yelled and bumped into "King James."

Later, when Tatum was asked about the play and what he did after it, he said he was glad he did it.

“I don’t know why I yelled and bumped him… But I’m glad I did,” Tatum told GQ. “I will always remember that. But I was running back on defense like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I couldn’t believe what I just did.”

Fast forward, Jayson Tatum is 25 and a seven-year veteran in the league. The night of Game 7 was not just a blast but a volcano in the making. He has grown to become not only one of the elite scorers in the league but also one of the best two-way players.