BOSTON — Celtics star Jayson Tatum made a young fan’s birthday unforgettable on Thursday night. After leading the Celtics to a 122-102 win against the Wizards in Washington D.C., Tatum spotted a boy in the crowd holding a sign requesting his autograph. It was the child’s birthday, and he was eager for Tatum to sign his No. 0 Celtics jersey.
Tatum went above and beyond, signaling for the boy to meet him near the court and gifting him the sneakers off his feet. Additionally, Tatum took a photo with the thrilled young fan, who was overjoyed by the encounter.
The sneakers Tatum gave away are his new Jordan Brand Tatum 3s, likely the same pair he wore during the season opener against the Knicks at TD Garden on Tuesday. The shoes featured the names of Tatum’s sons, Deuce and Dylan, written on the side.
Since Tatum did not play in the fourth quarter of either game this season, the sneakers are still relatively new.
Despite sitting out the final period on Thursday, Tatum had a significant performance, scoring 25 points on 9-of-20 shooting, along with 11 rebounds and six assists. Adding his stats from Tuesday’s game, where he scored 37 points, gathered 10 assists, and grabbed four rebounds, Tatum enters an elite category in NBA history. He and Larry Bird are now the only forwards ever to achieve at least 62 points, 15 rebounds, and 16 assists in the first two games of a season, according to Celtics stats analyst Dick Lipe.