Jabari Smith Jr. asked Jayson Tatum what advice he’d give to a player going into their 3rd year who hasn’t lived up to expectations. Tatum: “…I’ve been in that situation. Everybody else in the world that’s 21 is still probably in school trying to figure out what they want to do in life…” (cont.)
by Brady331
37 Comments
Full Tatum media day here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p2xCJRCFqw
Added subtitles because why not (using https://www.veed.io/)
Here’s the transcript:
Jabari Smith Jr.: What’s up, bro?
Jayson Tatum: Oh, shit.
Jabari: You know, I feel like. Well, first of all, Jabari Smith, NBA correspondent. I feel like this league is a lot of expectation. You know what I’m saying? I’m gonna try to shift it a little bit. What would you say to somebody going into their third year who hasn’t really lived up to the expectation that has been set on him? What would you say to somebody going into that?
Tatum: I would say that somebody that,
you know, has been through that, right? How old are you?
Jabari: 21.
Tatum: 21. I’ve been in that situation. Everybody else in the world that’s your age, that’s 21, is still probably in school trying to figure out what they want to do in life. And we come into the league at such a young age, and they want us to be perfect right away. And this is part of growing up. You still growing up? I’m still growing up. And it’s a process, right. Nothing was accomplished overnight, and I think you’ll find a value in tough times, the ups and downs of just what life brings you. Damn I sound like a real old person right now. Just in the sense of, like, your career. I would just say, man, enjoy it, right? There’s going to be some great times. There’s going to be some times that aren’t so great. And that’s, and it’s okay to be upset because that means you care, right? You want to be great, and people believe that you can. They just try to rush the process, and it takes however long it takes. But, you know, as long as you work hard, you believe, and you got the right support system. Obviously you do down in Houston. I know all those guys, coaches, you know, and everything will take care of itself, how it’s supposed to.
Jabari: For sure. Appreciate you. Good luck to you, too.
Tatum: Thank you.
It’s funny hearing Tatum, 19, trying to give wisdom to a 21 year old
i got a little teary eyed there
based and wholesome af
Jayson Tatum seems like a genuinely awesome dude, and he has his whole career.
Tatum is extremely well-spoken and always impressed me with his poise and perspective
That was sad. I’m rooting for bari
It’s a great perspective, considering Tatum went through his own ups and downs early in his career before becoming a superstar.
tatum with the wise words. to all the youngsters, just stay the course. you can veer off a bit, switch lanes and maybe even slow down, but just don’t stop. there’s only so many times you can can end up in the ditch and try to get out before you go where the hell did all my years go and then that’s when shit turns really ugly.
Confirmed, Bari is 6 foot 11 JT.
Jabari can switch and space as a big. that’s already 20 mill annually right there.
Casual fans don’t understand switching tho.
Can anyone enlighten me why Bari was doing the questioning?
Great answer by Tatum BTW. Well worded.
I get annoyed watching Tatum play, but damn he always comes across as a good dude.
How tf can ppl slander this man. Humble hooper giving wholesome advice to a fellow competitor showing vulnerability🔥
Geez, it’s so hard to hate this guy. I miss having Celtics I can dislike haha.
This is one of the most hated guy in basketball…
…. What more were people expecting from Jabari so far?
Everyone else in the world that’s 21 is still probably in school, trying to figure out what they want to do with their life, as opposed to making millions of dollars to play a game. It’s tough.
He’s not a basketball dad, he’s a basketball father
I’m 40 and I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do in life.
Once JSJ has got some more years on him, I suspect he’ll be a missing piece type player for good teams. He’s the right size and position and highly skilled, and doesn’t try to take over like a lot of very good young players might to a detriment. Instead I think he’s about that team ball and playing winning ball and working hard doing the unglamorous stuff as well. Too many young players are overly focused on themselves and their offense, and miss out on important development and experience. KAT for instance is coming up on 10 years and just barely learning to care about defense 🙂 I’m not mad at Jabari’s first three years. And that rookie season was a rough situation.
Fuck Boston but literally impossible to hate Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum is such a mature young man. It’s crazy he’s only 25 or 26
Gotta be real to talk about this big 3. 🥱
He said a bunch of nothing. Jabari went out there kinda exposing himself and left with zero information or help.
He could’ve at the very least said something about how just the fact that he asked that question proves that he’s got a mentality that others of his age doesn’t have or something. Just to give him some type of affirmation. This is a generic media day answer, not something personal that helps in any way. Although not a bad answer in the sense of what is formally correct to say in response to that type of question, its a shitty answer in the sense of a young guy asking for help from his elders.
love jayson tatum all my homies love jayson tatum
Cringe
Tatum has always been so well spoken
Damn Tatum sounds like Bron but without all the fakeness
Not a Celtic fan, but I think i just become a fan of Tatum
Man, Tatum is just so naturally chill and down-to-earth.
That’s such a relatable response from Tatum. It’s a great reminder that even top athletes go through challenging phases. Jabari Smith Jr. should take comfort in knowing he’s not alone—most 21-year-olds are still figuring things out, too. Great advice!
I loved Jabari in college. I truly believe he has plenty of room to grow.
I don’t know why, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard him speak before. He doesn’t really get much mic time outside of Boston media I would imagine. He seems like a class act. Still rooting against Boston with all my heart, but Tatum seems like a good dude. You got a good one up there.
This is a guy who is at peace with himself
Obviously as a Celtics fan I’m biased but like cmon. How do you hate on this guy?
did bro really mispronounce his own name? He said ‘Jabari Smiff’ if you listen closely lol cmon