Even though we tend to idolize them, NBA players are just like everybody else. They just happen to be way taller, more athletic, and make way, way more money than the rest of us.
But they had all their hopes, dreams, and fears growing up and had to go through hell to achieve what just a handful of athletes achieve in their lifetimes.
That was also the case with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. His parents went the extra mile to give him everything he could ever ask for, but that doesn't mean he had an easy childhood:
"My mom always found a way to put me in private schools, which I’m thankful for, but it’s just that we live two totally different lives. So I’m already borderline intimidated when I got to school," Tatum said.
But even at a young age, Tatum was different. He didn't long for the same things most kids do, and that led to one of the most unpleasant situations of his life:
"I just remember in 4th grade, the teacher talking about, you know, ‘I want everyone to write a paragraph on what they wanna be when they get older’. So all the kids wanna do what they parents do. They wanna be doctors, dentists, lawyers," Tatum added.
Tatum always dreamed of being an NBA player. And instead of encouraging him or showing their support, his classmates and even his teacher simply laughed right at his face for that:
"And she came around me and I was like I wanna be in the NBA one day and I want y’all to see me on TV. She looked at me and she was like, ‘You gotta pick something more realistic’. And I remember everyone in the class kinda laughed at me," Tatum added. "And I like, I was embarrassed, and I remember I was crying. And I told my mom, and I’ll never forget she told me that as long as she believes in me, as long as she’s gonna support me, it don’t matter what nobody else think. That’s something I always took with me.”
Well, not only did Tatum fulfill his dream of becoming an NBA player but he also became a young superstar.
He was the third overall pick of the Draft and took his talents to the most storied team in the league. Also, he signed a fully-guaranteed $163 million contract over five years and made it to the NBA Finals before turning 25.
So, who's laughing now?
