Jayson Tatum on belonging in Boston with the Celtics

“I didn’t even want to come (to Boston) because I didn’t think I was going to play,” said the Duke alum of the year he was drafted by the Celtics.

At a mere 25 years old, All-NBA Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum recently became the youngest Celtic of all time to reach 10,000 career points over the course of nearly 80 years of records being kept. In a recent interview with the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, the St. Louis native emphasized the importance of connecting with the people of the city of Boston and the impact he has on the community, especially among underrepresented youth.

Tatum has actively engaged with the city’s residents, visiting children’s hospitals and surprising high school students, bringing joy to their faces when he encounters them in public.

With star athletes like Tom Brady and David Ortiz retired and the Patriots and Red Sox in rebuilding phases, the city is now embracing the Celtics, who are competing for the NBA championship, with Tatum as their franchise player.