Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum made a young fan’s birthday unforgettable on Thursday night after the team secured a 122-102 victory against the Washington Wizards in Washington D.C. Spotting a young fan in the stands holding a sign requesting his autograph, Tatum learned it was the boy’s birthday and he wanted him to sign his No. 0 jersey.
Tatum went above and beyond, signaling for the boy to come closer to the court and surprising him by giving him a pair of his sneakers. The Celtics player also took a moment to pose for a photograph with the ecstatic fan, who couldn’t contain his joy during the special interaction.
The sneakers Tatum gifted are his new Jordan Brand Tatum 3s, resembling the pair he wore during the season opener against the Knicks at TD Garden. The shoes feature the names of Tatum’s sons, Deuce and Dylan, written on the side and are relatively new, as Tatum did not play in the fourth quarter of either game this season.
In terms of performance, despite sitting out the final quarter on Thursday, Tatum delivered an impressive 25 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists for Boston. Combining his contributions from Tuesday’s game, where he scored 37 points along with 10 assists and four rebounds, Tatum has entered a remarkable segment of NBA history. He now shares with Larry Bird the distinction of being the only two forwards to accumulate at least 62 points, 15 rebounds, and 16 assists over the first two games of a season, as recorded by Celtics statistician Dick Lipe.