It was a long shot, but one Heat fan seized his opportunity Saturday night when the chance presented itself.
With nothing to lose, the Miami supporter did his best to recruit Celtics star Jayson Tatum to South Beach, and it went exactly as you’d expect.
Tatum was walking into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony in Springfield, Mass., when one fan could be heard saying, “Come to the Heat. Come to the Heat.” Immediately, the Boston star shook his head and laughed saying, “Nah.”
He proceeded to greet a Boston fan who was yelling, “Go Celtics!”
Needless to say, it doesn’t look as if Tatum would consider joining his rivals anytime soon.
A fan was trying to recruit Jayson Tatum to the Heat 😂
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) August 13, 2023
(🎥 shaan__mehta/IG) pic.twitter.com/d3DIn0Wouw
The Heat and Celtics have met in the past two Eastern Conference finals, with Boston winning the matchup in 2022 and Miami winning in ’23. Both teams came up short of winning the NBA title but remain top contenders for the Larry O’Brien trophy, and Tatum has no intention of jumping ship just yet.
The 25-year-old superstar signed a five-year extension in 2020 tying him to the Celtics for the foreseeable future.