Jayson Tatum Admits He Hid His High School Girlfriend’s Pregnancy Before the NBA Draft: ‘I Was Sick to My Stomach’
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is opening up about one of the most life-changing — and nerve-racking — moments of his life.
In a candid sit-down with Graham Bensinger, the NBA forward revealed that when he found out his high-school girlfriend was pregnant, his first reaction wasn’t joy — it was fear.
“I was more worried about getting drafted than I was about being a dad,” Tatum admitted.
“I didn’t tell anybody — not my teammates, coaches, or even the NBA teams — because I thought if they knew, they’d think I wasn’t focused.”
At the time, Tatum was just wrapping up his freshman season at Duke University and preparing to enter the NBA Draft — a dream he’d worked his entire life for.
But when the news of the pregnancy banger, that dream suddenly collided with reality.
“It was like a week or two before school ended,” he recalled.
“In my head, I was thinking, ‘You’re about to leave Duke, get ready for the Draft, live your life.’
Then it was like — nope, you’re about to have a kid. I was selfish at first.”
Fearing that the pregnancy would make him seem distracted or immature, Tatum said he made the decision to hide it from nearly everyone in his circle — including NBA scouts and executives.
“I didn’t want it to impact where I got drafted. I thought if teams knew I was about to have a kid, they were gonna think I wasn’t focused,” he explained.
His son Deuce Tatum was born in December 2017 — just months after Jayson was selected third overall by the Boston Celtics.
And while the transition was heavy, he says it ultimately gave him purpose.
“He made me grow up faster,” Tatum said.
“I wouldn’t change it for the world. It motivates me. Seeing him at all the games … he makes me want to be the best player, father, and role model I can be.”
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