"They grow up so fast" - Jayson Tatum outlines moments he misses most without Deuce Tatum

Jayson Tatum has become a franchise player for the Boston Celtics during his six-year stint with the team. The Celtics view him and Jaylen Brown as cornerstones of their effort to claim a record 18th NBA championship. At the same time, Tatum is a family man and never misses a moment to show how much he loves his son Deuce.

Deuce was born a few months after Tatum moved to the NBA as the third pick of the draft in 2017. The superstar was just 19 years old when he became a father and has done a great job of raising his child. Deuce doesn't miss a home game at TD Garden and often attends press conferences, sitting next to his father.

Jayson Tatum spoke with the official website of the NBA and opened up about how difficult it is to combine an athlete's life with being a dad:

"Tough thing, depending on our schedule, is missing his birthday. There have been a few years when I wasn’t with him for his birthday. Also, not being able to go to every school event and or basketball practice because we are on the road.

"Even though this is my seventh season, it’s still something that’s not easy to deal with because you never want to miss those things. They grow up so fast."

Jayson Tatum talks about the importance of spending time with his son, Deuce

In the interview, Jayson Tatum talked about a lot of different topics regarding his relationship with his son, Deuce.

The All-Star guard explained his daily routines and how his schedule changes during the season and in the summer. He also revealed that he does his best to spend as much time as possible with his son and create memories with him.

"Being a dad is the most important thing to me, so no matter what my schedule is, I will always find time to spend with him and some of my favorite memories come from our car rides," Jayson Tatum said.

"It’s a great feeling as a parent knowing that I can help provide the things for my son and show him the world in a way that I didn’t get to as a child.

"Even though I love my time with Deuce around basketball, I also really enjoy watching him be a kid and spending time in my mom’s back yard doing things with him that aren’t about basketball."

Jayson Tatum also explained how important it is to have Deuce in attendance in Boston home games and how much his son enjoys being at the Garden:

"The best part about being his dad in season is the games. That’s something we have really bonded over. He loves watching me play, coming to the game and being in the Garden, running around in the back and playing in the locker room.

"Just seeing him develop over the years, his personality grows, especially in the Garden, has been amazing to see because we have grown up there together."

With that in mind, Deuce may be in attendance for the Celtics' first home game of the season on Friday, October 27. They will take on the Miami Heat in a rematch of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.