SUMMARY
- Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal, both, were born and brought up in St. Louis, Missouri and when the Boston Celtics star was a toddler, Beal babysat him.
- Despite joining the league in 2012 and 2017 respectively, it wasn't until 2021 that Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum got to play together in the same team.
Bradley Beal is undeniably one of the most versatile players in the NBA. He has been a part of the league for more than a decade and has delivered promising performances. Beal maintains a positive relationship with other basketball players, however, his relationship with Jayson Tatum stands out distinctively. They have known each other since childhood and Beal serves the role of a big brother and mentor for the young star.
Notably, the two have an age gap of five years as Beal was born on 28 June 1993, whereas, Tatum was born on 3 March 1998. Both of them were born and brought up in St. Louis, Missouri and when the Boston Celtics star was a toddler, Beal babysat him. They went to the same high school, Chaminade College Prep, but, not at the same time.
Interestingly, Tatum played for Beal’s AAU team and polished his remarkable basketball skills. Their journey is set on different timelines, eventually taking them to the NBA. After high school, Beal attended the University of Florida and debuted in the league in 2012. On the other hand, Tatum joined Duke University after his high school career and was drafted in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal played together at the 2021 NBA All-Star Game
Despite joining the league in 2012 and 2017 respectively, it wasn’t until 2021 that Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum got to play together. Both of them were drafted by Kevin Durant into his squad for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, giving them an opportunity that they cherished forever. Tatum played for 17 minutes and added 21 points, whereas, Beal played for 31 minutes and added 31 points.
Talking about the experience, the Phoenix Suns player said “That’s my brother forever. It was very unique and awesome to be able to share a floor with him, for us both to get going.” He emphasized how they have never been on the same team and this was a little honor in itself. Beal continued to talk about how both of them were ecstatic about this and happy. “St. Louis boys have to stick together,” he added.
On the other hand, before the game, Tatum talked about how everybody knows how close he and Beal are and their history. “Two guys from the same high school, same neighborhood, kind of grew up together, starting in the All-Star game from St. Louis, it don’t get no better than that,” the Celtics star said. Fans were beyond happy to see both of their favorite players live their dreams.
Jayson Tatum gives credit to Bradley Beal for his successful career
Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal both speak very highly of each other and don’t leave any stone unturned when it comes to talking about the other. Back in 2022, Tatum recorded a video message for Beal which he watched during an interview with Bleacher Report. In the video, he said “Without you, it wouldn’t be me. You don’t get enough credit, but I’m always giving you the credit.” The Celtics star further talked about how he appreciates him.
Bradley Beal got emotional after this message from Jayson Tatum 🙏 pic.twitter.com/SdmCVCAoy3
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 9, 2022
This message left Beal emotional and he talked about how he feels witnessing Tatum’s successful career. The 2012 NBA draft pick said, “It’s surreal in a lot of ways. That’s dope.” He continued to explain that for him, he didn’t have such an image as his older brother was his favorite player apart from the NBA players. Therefore, Beal didn’t know what pro and recruiting were like and had to figure things out on his own.
Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal’s children share a good relationship
Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal’s relationship was built on the bond that their mothers shared and now they are giving it forward. The Celtics star’s son Jayson Christopher Tatum Jr. and two of Beal’s children Bradley Beal II, and Braylen Beal share a good relationship. Kamiah Adams-Beal, wife of the Suns star took to her Instagram page to share an adorable picture of them along with children of Draymond Green and Damian Lillard.
View this post on Instagram
In the caption, Kamiah talked about how the picture represents the future and expressed that she can’t wait for them to recreate this in 20 years. Further, she mentioned that this was taken when they were watching their fathers compete for the USA basketball. “It’ll be them in the future,” she added with a heart emoji. Fans found this post wholesome and showered their love and blessings.