Video: Jayson Tatum Recalls Crying as Kid After LeBron James Didn't Sign Autograph

Jayson Tatum and LeBron James are peers now, but there was a time when the Boston Celtics star walked to his mom's car in tears because the four-time NBA MVP turned down his autograph request.

In a video from the NBA, Tatum recalled a story from when he attended a Cleveland Cavaliers-Memphis Grizzlies game when he was 11 years old and had his request to get an autograph from James rejected.

There don't seem to be any hard feelings between the two superstars. James even jokes in the video that him rejecting the autograph request all those years ago is why Tatum dunked on him in Game 7 of the 2018 NBA Finals between the Cavs and Celtics.

Tatum turned 11 on March 3, 2009. Based on the timeline he talks about, the game he was at most likely would have been on Dec. 8, 2009. James played great with 43 points on 14-of-29 shooting, 13 rebounds and six assists in the Cavs' 111-109 loss to Memphis.

Tatum did note that James didn't specifically tell him no, but "he kinda told me no." This isn't a situation unique to James. Athletes and celebrities have to turn down autograph requests all the time, or they would never get anything done.

This does sound like a different circumstance because Tatum made it sound like he got to go into the tunnel and at least close to Cleveland's locker room since his family knew Larry Hughes.

You would think if Tatum got that close to James—and he had a connection to another player on the Cavs—that LeBron would have made an exception to sign something.

Fast forward all these years later, Tatum is playing with James on Team USA going into the Olympics after winning his first NBA title.