Boston Celtics star guard Jayson Tatum has long been a huge fan of the late, great Kobe Bryant, so it was only fitting that he paid a subtle tribute to the Lakers legend while warming up before the start of Thursday night's Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals.
Tatum, who had 16 points in his team's 107-89 victory over the Mavericks, was seen wearing a Celtics T-shirt while getting ready for the game.
That wasn't just any Celtics t-shirt, however. It was like the one that Bryant wore years ago during a workout with Boston before the 1996 NBA draft.
Check this out:
Jayson Tatum brought back the Celtics shirt that Kobe wore during his Boston workouts for Game 1 🔥 pic.twitter.com/C3U4Jhdyan
Tatum has worn that shirt before big games in the past, but it seemed fitting to have it on before the start of the Finals, where Bryant had some of his biggest games of career while winning five NBA titles.
Tatum is now three wins away from winning his first championship.
ANDY NESBITT
Andy Nesbitt is the Assistant Managing Editor of Audience Engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking & Trending News Team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. He has been working in sports media for over 20 years, appearing on Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe, and NBC Sports. He’s a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.
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