BOSTON — On Thursday night, Celtics star Jayson Tatum made a young fan’s birthday unforgettable. After contributing to the Celtics’ 122-102 win over the Wizards in Washington, Tatum spotted a boy in the audience holding a sign requesting his autograph on his No. 0 Celtics jersey.
Tatum went above and beyond by inviting the boy to meet him courtside, where he surprised him by giving away the sneakers he was wearing. The moment was made even more special as Tatum took a photo with the ecstatic fan, who was overjoyed by the exchange.
The sneakers, the Jordan Brand Tatum 3s, are similar to those Tatum wore in the season opener against the Knicks at TD Garden. Notably, the shoes featured the names of Tatum’s sons, Deuce and Dylan, written on the side. Given that Tatum did not play in the fourth quarter of either of his games this season, the sneakers were still relatively new.
Despite not playing the final quarter on Thursday, Tatum recorded impressive stats, scoring 25 points on 9-of-20 shooting along with 11 rebounds and six assists. Combining this performance with his previous game statistics—37 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds—Tatum has entered the record books. He has now joined Larry Bird as the only two forwards in NBA history to score at least 62 points, grab 15 rebounds, and dish out 16 assists in the first two games of a season, according to Celtics statistician Dick Lipe.