After one impressive season at Duke, it was widely expected that Jayson Tatum would be selected in the 2017 NBA Draft. Before the draft, the Philadelphia 76ers traded up to the first position. The Boston Celtics then moved down to the third spot. In between Philadelphia and Boston were the Los Angeles Lakers, Tatum’s favorite childhood team.
The idea of being selected by the Lakers was an amazing what-if for Tatum. He would have had a chance to play for a team he had always admired.
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Unfortunately, it never happened as the Philadelphia 76ers selected Markelle Fultz, a guard from Washington. Fultz was a better fit for the team’s young core players, which included Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
Lakers head of front office Magic Johnson was also a huge fan of Lonzo Ball, a guard from UCLA, which led to the Lakers not choosing Tatum.
Tatum admits admiration for Lakers
During an interview before Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals started, Tatum discussed the 2017 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-8 small forward also talked about the Lakers and how they disappointed him.
Tatum explained he was almost taken by the Lakers with the second pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The third-round pick said that he had always admired Kobe and it was disappointing the team did not want to sign him.
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“The Lakers were my favorite team, and Kobe (Bryant) was my favorite player,” Tatum said. “So it was crazy that the Lakers had the second pick and I was so close to a dream come true. But it was just like they didn’t want anything to do with me at the time.”
The Lakers reportedly did not think highly of Tatum at the time. They never even invited him to a pre-draft workout.
What Lakers, 76ers miss
The Lakers were in the midst of a dreadful first season following the retirement of Kobe. They needed a franchise cornerstone. Unfortunately, the Lakers and Ball failed to work out. Ball played for the Lakers for 99 games during the first season. He was then traded to the New Orleans Pelicans before the end of the season.
Fultz played for the 76ers for the entire season. However, the team’s “process” did not work for general manager Sam Hinkie.
During this period, Tatum worked to become the best player in the NBA. He had a high level of success in his first two seasons in the league while Fultz and Ball were struggling with injuries and could not transition seamlessly into the NBA.
During his two seasons in the NBA, Tatum averaged 14.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He was overshadowed by Kyrie Irving during the 2017-2018 season, but he eventually took his place as the starting small forward for the Celtics. They lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
During his first run in the playoffs, Tatum made an impact with his consistent play. Tatum’s emergence as a star was set in motion by Irving’s decision to leave the organization and sign with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Celtics had been led by the likes of Hall of Fame players such as Larry Bird and Bill Russell in the past. With Tatum leading the way, the team is only three wins away from another NBA title.
