Back in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jayson Tatum made an incredible play on LeBron James. With his team in desperate need of a bucket, the then-rookie rose up, and slammed the ball down, despite James going up to block his shot. It was a highlight for the ages.

May 27, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dunks and scores against Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the fourth quarter in game seven of the Eastern conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

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Months later, Tatum sat down with GQ magazine to discuss various aspects of being a star in the NBA. However, among the many things he talked about, his opinion on the play seemed admittedly peculiar. The following is what he had to say on the matter.

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

Many believed that the Celtics star’s yelling came as a response to LeBron James yelling in his ear similarly during a prior possession after making a great play. However, with the star having admitted that even he doesn’t know what brought his reaction, that is unlikely to have been the case.

Tatum’s fearless mentality to challenge LeBron James the way he did turned heads in his direction very quickly. Now in his seventh year in the NBA, Jayson Tatum is one of the most respected superstars in the NBA.

Jayson Tatum still has a lot of respect for LeBron James

Despite embarrassing him with a play during his very first season in the NBA, Jayson Tatum still highly respects LeBron James. The star even posted on X (Formerly Twitter) about his awe at LeBron James’s longevity in November of 2023.

To add to this, LeBron James reciprocates the feeling as well. As per top NBA Insider, Shams Charania, James is very interested in having Tatum on his side during the 2024 Olympics, despite Team USA being very powerful already with the likes of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, among the many other superstars that have already committed to the cause.

As his time has gone on in the NBA, Jayson Tatum has become one of the most skilled players in the NBA. So, while it is a flattering sentiment from James, Team USA leaving the Celtics star at home would be a massive let-off for the rest of the world. And with Team USA looking to dominate the international stage again, it is unlikely they’re going to be letting that happen again.