Jayson Tatum is headed to Tokyo. The Boston Celtics’ star is among the 12 players who will represent the United States in the men’s basketball tournament a little later this month, and after his involvement in the U.S. team that crashed and burned in the World Cup in 2019, Tatum will be eager to achieve international redemption.
This tournament also holds quite a bit of significance for Tatum. A well-documented Kobe Bryant fan, Tatum will wear the No. 10 when the United States takes the floor in Japan, which was also the number that Bryant wore during his international basketball career. On Wednesday, Tatum was asked about this, and made clear that wearing his favorite player’s number is something he holds near and dear to his heart.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Tatum said, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. “And I’ll wear it proudly.”
Tatum went on to say that he’s cognizant of the fact that this is the first Olympic Games since Bryant’s passing in early 2020, making this a little more significant to him, and then recalled another time in his life when he got to wear this number right after the 2012 Olympics.
“I remember that first team when I was hoping, wishing, that I got No. 10,” Tatum said. “Kobe, everyone knows that was my favorite player. I was 15 years old and got to wear the number of my favorite player. It just felt like I had some level of connection with him.”
The United States will begin its quest for a fourth consecutive gold medal on July 25. Its group includes the Czech Republic, France, and Iran.
