Jayson Tatum may be a superstar to basketball fans around the world, but away from the court he's a devoted dad to his 6-year-old son, Jayson “Deuce” Tatum Jr.
The 26-year-old Boston Celtics star, whose team triumphed against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals on June 6, welcomed Deuce with ex-girlfriend Toriah Lachell in December 2017.
Deuce skipped his way onto the court at Boston's TD Garden to give his five-time NBA All-Star dad a sweet hug after the Game 1 victory in a cute video ESPN posted on X.
The senior Tatum, who became a dad just months after he was drafted, opened up in a 2022 press conference about how he was determined to be "best father" he could be.
“(Deuce) was born in 2017 so that was a big — that was the biggest year of my life, right? Starting this new chapter in my career and I just had a child.
“My mindset was not to sacrifice either, that I was going to be the best father I could as well as the best basketball player. There was no guideline or there was no exact way to do it. It was all about what was natural," Tatum told reporters.
Tatum also said during the press conference that he felt as though he and Deuce were “growing up together.”
“I’m around him every day. I think being able to go through this journey together —because I was 19 when I got drafted — it’s kind of like we’re growing up together,” he said.
“As he’s gotten older, I’m going through my career, sharing these moments, experiencing this together as we grow up, I think it’s the coolest part for me.”
Here's everything to know about Jayson Tatum's son, Deuce.
Tatum shares Deuce with ex-girlfriend Toriah Lachell
The NBA star welcomed his son, who was born in December 2017, with ex-girlfriend Toriah Lachell, according to ESPN.
The former high school sweethearts learned they were expecting shortly before Tatum, who was then a student at Duke University, was drafted by the NBA, the athlete recalled during an October 2022 interview on “In DepthwithGraham Bensinger."
Tatum said he initially kept Lachell's pregnancy a secret from the NBA, fearing that teams wouldn't choose him if they thought fatherhood would get in the way of his game, a position he looked back on as "extremely selfish."
Later during the interview, Tatum recalled the love he felt for his son once he arrived.
"When he came out and I held him for the first time, instantly my whole perspective changed and I was just like, 'Oh, nothing else matters. Nothing else matters but taking care of him,'" he said.
Tatum says Deuce changed his life for the better
The pro basketball star said during the same “In DepthwithGraham Bensinger” interview that he believed Deuce changed his life for the better.
"He made me grow up faster and mature. Because with all this newfound fame and success and money at 19, that's a lot to handle. But I wouldn't change it for the world.
"It motivates me. Seeing him come to all the games, practice, watch me work out, you know, he motivates me to be the best player, the best father, the best role model that I can be," said Tatum.
Deuce is a hit with basketball fans
While Celtics fans may go to the team's games to see Tatum heat up the court, they also get a kick out of his young son's adorable antics.
Little Deuce has stolen the show after many games by climbing into his dad's lap during his interviews with the media.
He also made fans smile when he participated in a kids’ basketball dunking contest in May 2023.
Deuce has also won over the hearts of his dad's teammates, as evidenced by a cute Celtics tweet from May 2022 that shows Deuce walking through the team's locker room while slapping players' hands.
Tatum calls his son his 'best friend in the world'
Tatum shares frequent photos of Deuce on his official Instagram account, where he talks about the pair's special father-son bond in his captions.
When the athlete celebrated his son's 5th birthday in December 2022, he wrote, "Deuce Day!! Happy 5th birthday to my best friend in the world. Love you kid."
The devoted dad has also called little Deuce "my twin," "my lil man" and "my real life bodyguard," among other cute terms of endearment.
Gina Vivinetto
Gina Vivinetto is a writer forTODAY.com.
