Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum began his basketball career idolizing Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard (and Celtics nemesis) Kobe Bryant, and would later be mentored by the Laker legend before his untimely death. In particular, the St. Louis native has sought to add Bryant’s signature fadeaway to his game, a tough shot for moments only a tough shot will do.
To the consternation of Celtics fans everywhere, Tatum would often try the difficult shot often earlier in his career, passing up on hitting an open teammate to take the lower-percentage shot himself. Now, a more complete player who trusts his teammates to make a shot when their number is called, Taco Jay uses the fadeaway less — but to deadly effect.
The former Blue Devil is now a master of the shot, which caught the attention of the league itself when they decided to put together a clip of five minutes of Tatum unleashing his Kobe-inflected fadeaway.
Check out the clip embedded above to see him in action, letting it fly in a way that used to make Celtics fans wince that now seems to be having the same effect on Boston’s opponents in the present.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
