Jayson Tatum reveals ex-Celtics forward is reason he went to Duke

While Jayson Tatum and Jabari Parker haven’t played together with the Celtics in a minute, Tatum said he’s kept tabs on his former teammate. Tatum said he has plenty of respect for Parker as they’re both Duke alums who have had a prior connection.

Parker is now playing for FC Barcelona as he’s playing overseas after playing in 310 career NBA games. He even recently hit a game-winner, which Tatum said he saw the other day.

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“I did see he hit a buzzer-beater the other day,” Tatum told reporters in Toronto. “I haven’t talked to Jabari in a minute, but somebody that I have a lot of respect for. Happy that he’s playing at a high level. Obviously I got to play with him, two different stints with the Celtics. He was the reason I went to Duke. I wanted to be like him. I have a lot of love for him and happy he’s playing well.”

Parker is a few years older than Tatum, playing for Duke during the 2013-14 season. He was then picked No. 2 overall in the 2014 draft by the Bucks. He was briefly supposed to play with the Bucks in Summer League in 2023, but that opportunity ended up falling through.

It’s no surprise Tatum got some inspiration from Parker. Tatum is three years younger than Parker, so he watched Parker at Duke growing up during some formative years. Tatum ended up playing for the Blue Devils during the 2016-17 season before going third overall in the 2017 draft.

The former Duke players teamed up with the Celtics as part of two different seasons from 2020-22. Parker signed with the C’s midway through the 2020-21 season, then was with the team for the early parts of the following year. So Tatum and Parker got to play together briefly, though Parker’s career has been hit by injuries.