Jayson Tatum and his elite squad have turned out to be one of the strongest teams in the NBA right now. Over the last couple of years, the Boston Celtics have been led by JT. And so far, they’ve made deep playoff runs consistently while making the NBA Finals in 2022. However, their lack of experience eventually got the best of them and the title slipped right through their hands.
But Tatum and his teammates have shown great determination. It is very likely that the Celtics will make it to the finals again. Tatum himself has been playing on a completely different level. He had an MVP-caliber 2022-23 season averaging 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He also debuted his first-ever signature shoe with Jordan Brand at the start of 2023. The signature kicks were sold commercially in September 2023.
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Initially, Jayson Tatum revealed four colorways, each with a unique meaning behind it. They were called The Zoo, St. Louis, The Barbershop, and Pink Lemonade. But Tatum has worn a bunch of custom colorways on the court lately. One of these colorways was “Home Team”, a Celtics-inspired design with neon green trims and an all-black body. The Tatum 1’s recent colorway was worn during the Celtics loss against the Orlando Magic. These were inspired by the Florida Gators team.
Why did Jayson Tatum wear Florida Gator-themed shoes?
Jayson Tatum’s Florida Gators-themed shoes were very unique. It had an orange sole, and a black and blue base with hints of orange, white, and green splattered on the body. The Gators logo was embroidered on the tongue of the shoe while the Jordan Brand logo was featured on the sides. Fans were pretty fascinated by Tatum’s choice of theme especially since he attended Duke and not The University of Florida.
When it came to his performance, Jayson had a decent night against the Magic. He scored 26 points along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists during the game. Unfortunately, the Celtics struggled as Kristaps Porzingis struggled. Despite the loss, Boston still ranks atop the Eastern Conference chart. Fans believed that Jayson represented the Gator exactly why they lost. One fan said, “This is why they lost last night bruh.” Another fan said, “I get Gators are Jordan brand but why Tatum?”
@smoovenole @whynotflorida this is why they lost last night bruh
— 🍢#5 (11-0) / #DUUUVAL (7-3) 🐆 (@904N0LE) November 25, 2023
I get Gators are Jordan brand but why Tatum?
— Grizzly🧸 (@GrizzlyX10) November 25, 2023
The Gators aren’t the strongest among college teams in almost every sport. They have a reputation for consistently losing as well. Jayson Tatum did not give a specific reason as to why he wore those colors. The Tatum 1 Florida Gators PE is probably going to be available to the public at some point. However, Jordan Brand hasn’t officially announced this colorway as a part of Tatum’s signature line.