Jayson Tatum opens up about "growing up together" with son Deuce

BOSTON  --  Jayson Tatum has been enjoying the spotlight that comes with being the superstar player on a team in the NBA Finals. And chances are when you see Tatum on the floor before or after a Celtics game, he's sharing the moment with his 4-year-old son, Deuce.

Deuce has been a fixture at Celtics games for a while now, but his popularity has continued to rise as Boston advanced deeper in the postseason. It's impossible not to love Deuce and all the fun that he's been having by his dad's side.

He shared the podium with his dad after the Celtics' Game 7 win over the Milwaukee Bucks to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, and let the world know that he was ready to go swimming in Miami. He's been giving courtside high-fives -- or snubbing guys -- and skipping through the Boston locker room throughout the playoffs. 

Tatum, despite the busy schedule that goes with being an NBA star, has made sure that he goes above and beyond when it comes to his dad duties. Deuce was born just six months after the Celtics drafted Tatum third overall, so he has been there nearly every step of the way with his dad.

 "In 2017 when I got drafted, I didn't have Deuce. But he was born in 2017, so that was a big -- that was the biggest year of my life," Tatum said Tuesday. 

"Starting this new chapter in my career, I just had a child. My mindset was not to sacrifice either, that I was going to be the best father as I could as well as the best basketball player," Tatum explained. "There was no guideline or there was no, you know, exact way to do it. It was all about what was natural."

Now the two are preparing for their first NBA Finals game together at TD Garden, with the Celtics set to host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. Tatum said that sharing just about every moment of his career with Deuce has made his journey all the more special.

"I'm around him every day. I think being able to go through this journey together, because I was 19 when I got drafted, it's kind of like we're growing up together," said Tatum. "As he's gotten older, I'm going through my career, sharing these moments, experiencing this together as we grow up.

"I think it's the coolest part for me," Tatum continued. "I don't know if it's intentional as much as it's just natural and what we do."

Tatum hopes that having his relationship with Deuce in the spotlight will show young fathers everywhere that being a dad is the most important job in the world.

"I realize that I do have a platform and things like that. If I am a role model for young fathers around the world, that's great. I think we need more role models like that," he said. "Just to have more male fathers be present and things like that, show that you can do both, regardless of whenever you work, whatever your profession is."

No one knows how Game 3 of the NBA Finals will go. The series is tied 1-1 after the Warriors bounced back from a Game 1 loss to take Game 2 in San Francisco on Sunday night. It's down to a best-of-five with the next two games in Boston.

But one thing we know for certain is that Deuce will be there Wednesday night, sharing every moment with his dad.