Jayson Tatum on Hiding Toriah Lachell's Pregnancy Before NBA Draft: 'I Was Terrified'

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum says he was "terrified" and struggled to accept the news that he and then-girlfriend Toriah Lachell would welcome a child in 2017.

In an interview on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Tatum said Lachell told him of the pregnancy when the 2016-17 school year was nearing its end. Having finished his freshman season with Duke, he was focusing on the NBA draft.

"I was selfish at first, honestly," he said (h/t the New York Post's Ryan Glasspiegel). "I was more worried about getting drafted than I was about being a dad, because my whole life I had dreamed about going to the NBA and the best day of my life was two months away. I didn’t tell anybody—I didn't tell my teammates, the coaches, anything."

The three-time All-Star wanted to keep the news private lest it adversely affect his draft stock.

"I didn't want it to impact where I got drafted," he said. "I thought that if teams knew I was about to have a kid, they were gonna think I wasn't focused and that they wouldn't pick me, so I was terrified. I didn't want anybody to know, which was extremely selfish."

Tatum, whom the Celtics selected third overall, eventually told head coach Brad Stevens since he might need time off from the team to be with Lachell. He described Stevens as "real supportive."

Jayson Tatum Jr. was born in December 2017, and Tatum announced his birth in January 2018. Nicknamed "Deuce," his son has become a fixture at Celtics games and makes occasional appearances at press conferences.

Tatum told the Boston Globe's Nicole Yang he's focused on his career and improving as a player, but from the outset he "was going to be the best father I could." The 24-year-old also said he hopes to be an example for others.

"I think it's the coolest part for me," he said. "If I am a role model for young fathers around the world, that's great. I think we need more role models like that—just to have more male fathers be present and show that you can do both."