Jayson Tatum on Training with Kobe Bryant: I Was 'Like a Kid in a Candy Store'

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum worked out with Kobe Bryant after his rookie season in what unsurprisingly became a memorable experience for the All-Star.

He spoke about the opportunity on the latest episode of All the Smoke:

"I was like a kid in a candy store," Tatum said. "I kept talking to myself like, 'I'm working out with Kobe.' I couldn't believe it at the time."

The 22-year-old explained what he took away from the sessions.

"A lot of attention to detail," Tatum said of the workouts. "It wasn't really anything that I couldn't do. It was a bunch of moves that he'd seen me do and that he did. It was all little things to think about. That's what I really took from it, the little things that he would think about that I never really heard anyone else in how they approach the game."

He noted the improvements with his jab step and creating separation.

Tatum was the No. 3 pick of the 2017 draft and had a strong rookie season with 13.9 points per game, but he made significant strides in each of his next two years. He earned his first All-Star selection in 2019-20 and was averaging 23.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game before the season was suspended. 

He created an emotional Instagram post after Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January, featuring several pictures of himself alongside the Hall of Famer. 

"Heart broken. My Hero. My Idol," Tatum wrote in the caption. "The reason I started to play this game, the reason I fell in love with this game. Growing up wanting to be just like you, to you becoming a mentor, beyond thankful for everything you’ve done for me."