Jayson Tatum spoke to Jamal Crawford about the 10 players he’d want to see in a dream 5v5 basketball pick-up game. He named some legends of the court, as Tatum didn’t give teams but named LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, Allen Iverson, Kevin Durant, Penny Hardaway, Gilbert Arenas, and Magic Johnson in his list, including himself.
“Kobe, Mike, Steph, Allen Iverson, KD. Bron, Penny. Gilbert Arenas, that’s why I wear No. 0. I would say, Magic Johnson, I wish I could’ve seen him play.”
That would be one amazing matchup. The lack of assigned teams for Tatum makes it even more fun, as in classic playground pick-up style, two captains can pick the rest of the team one by one. It’d be great to see LeBron James and Michael Jordan possibly pick from the eight remaining players to see which combination of five would be the best.
LeBron would likely take Stephen Curry or Kobe Bryant with his first pick, with Steph being my choice given James’ desire to play alongside Curry. Jordan could pick his close friend Magic Johnson as his first pick, giving him some much-needed size with skill in this matchup. James could respond with Kevin Durant as his pick, and the draft can break down in many different ways after that.
Even though Gilbert Arenas game inspired Tatum to pick No. 0 to be his jersey number, he is likely the last player picked in this draft due to the sheer amount of Hall of Fame talent around him.
Jayson Tatum Names The Players He Styled His Game Off
Before any NBA player makes it to the league, they’re a student of the game at the same level as the biggest fans of the league. Even if their goal is to make the NBA, players always have their idols whom they try and model their game. Tatum is no different and revealed to Jamal Crawford who he based his game on while growing up.
“Paul George. Kobe [Bryant]. I ain’t that athletic but T-Mac.”
The Bryant influence on Tatum is well-known, as the Celtics star often refers to Kobe as one of his heroes. Tracy McGrady is considered to be a cult hero for his incredible on-court skill and prime in the NBA, which people think was cut short due to injuries.
Paul George is a great answer, as Tatum was likely in middle school while watching George actively play in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers. George, like McGrady, has a cult following of fans who fell in love with his on-court style during his days with the Indiana Pacers where he emerged as the only player capable of challenging prime LeBron James in the playoffs.
Even though the Kobe influence is visible in Tatum’s game, the George influence is more tailored to his size and skill set. Tatum is bigger than both the players and should adopt some skills used by bigger forwards like LeBron, though he can’t match his strength. Regardless, he hopes he can be remembered among these greats one day, if not surpass them all.
