Jayson Tatum shares true feelings for Bradley Beal, shares glimpse of coolest moments with Suns star: "Forever grateful for that"

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum may be deep into his rehab from an Achilles tear, but that didn’t stop him from taking time to show love to longtime friend Bradley Beal, who turned 32 on Saturday.

Beal, currently with the Phoenix Suns, has long held the role of mentor in Tatum’s life, and the Celtics forward made sure to recognize that with a series of Instagram Stories.

One of the photos was a throwback to the 2021 All-Star Game, where both suited up — Tatum dropped 21 points and dished seven assists, while Beal scored 26 in Team Durant’s 170-150 loss to Team LeBron. Tatum captioned the photo:

“One of the coolest moments for me in my career! More life to my big brotha @bradbeal3 Enjoya ya day love ya champ.”

Jayson Tatum salutes Bradley Beal

Other posts showed the two stars hanging out both on and off the court, and in the final image, Tatum left a heartfelt note:

“He always wanted what’s best for me, forever grateful for that.”

Jayson Tatum salutes Bradley Beal

Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal share roots in St. Louis, Missouri

Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal both hail from St. Louis, where an older Beal took a young Tatum under his wing and became a guiding figure five years his senior.

During a 2022 Bleacher Report interview with Beal, Tatum surprised him in a video message, thanking him for the impact he’s had on his life and career.

“Without you, it wouldn’t be me,” Tatum said. “You don’t get enough credit, but I’m always giving you the credit… My big brother, man, I appreciate you. You know it’s all love.”

Beal then responded:

“It’s surreal in a lot of ways, because, for me, I didn’t have that image, per se. To me, my older brother was my favorite player, outside of the (players) in the NBA. So I didn’t have that image of what a pro was like, what recruiting was like.

“Going through that phase, I’d seen it within my family, so that was my way of learning on the fly. It’s funny, he talks about my AAU team, because he was a part of that … that speaks volumes of his character, and just who he is.”

Aside from sharing Missouri roots, the two attended the same high school, and Tatum suited up for Beal’s AAU squad.

Now, both stars face uncertain futures, as Beal’s Suns are in the middle of a major roster shake-up, and Tatum is working through an Achilles injury expected to keep him out of the Celtics rotation for most, if not all, of the upcoming season.