Fresh off an NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics, Team USA’s Jayson Tatum is more connected to the late, great Kobe Bryant than ever.
Tatum has long been outspoken about his respect for the NBA Hall-of-Famer and Los Angeles Lakers legend whom Tatum considered his basketball idol growing up.Now he’s officially followed in Bryant’s footsteps.
On his way to cementing his status as one of the league’s best players, Tatum is simultaneously carrying on the Black Mamba’s legacy.
Not only was Tatum recently named as the cover athlete for NBA 2K25, but he also made the choice to don the No. 10 jersey for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. That jersey was famously worn by Bryant during his stint playing for Team USA.
Tatum Graces The Cover
On July 10, Tatum, along with two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, was announced as the latest athlete to headline the renowned video game. Soon-to-be NBA Hall-of-Fame inductee Vince Carter will also be a part of the game as the cover athlete for the legacy edition.
“I mean, 2K is a big deal and to be like the first dual cover from NBA to WNBA and somebody that I’ve known for a very, very long time, super happy for her and myself,” Tatum said during an interview on “The Old Man & The Three,” with Tommy Alter, Sue Bird, and Wilson.
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Where Bryant fits into the puzzle is, like Tatum, he’s also had his fair share of history with the NBA 2K video game. Bryant most recently graced the cover posthumously for last year’s game, NBA 2K24, which was a tribute to the late five-time champion.
In addition to last year, Bryant was also on the cover of NBA 2K10, as well as special edition versions of NBA 2K17 and NBA 2K21. Now Tatum will have his chance with the video game and 2K brand, and rightfully so, considering he just helped lead the Celtics to their record-setting 18th championship banner.
Drafted third overall in 2017, in his short career Tatum has already accomplished a significant amount in the league. In addition to his championship, he’s captured five NBA All-Star Game appearances, an All-Star Game MVP in 2023, three All-NBA First Team selections and five trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. During the 2023-24 season, Tatum averaged 26.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, while finishing sixth in MVP voting.
Olympic Ties To The Black Mamba
In addition to now being part of the NBA 2K cover universe alongside his idol, Tatum will now also share a piece of Olympic history with Bryant in sharing his jersey number during this year’s Olympic games.
Bryant wore this number during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and during the 2012 Olympics in London. 2008’s United States men’s national team was famously deemed the “Redeem Team,” as they set out to avenge Team USA’s bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
While jersey numbers 8 and 24 — which were ultimately retired by the Lakers — treated Bryant pretty well, No. 10 was just as good to him during his international career, as he won two gold medals in that jersey. Now Tatum will have the chance to add to the storied legacy of the number once donned by the Black Mamba.
“It’s nothing short of an honor to be able to represent this uniform and wear number 10,” Tatum said in an interview during Team USA’s practices in Las Vegas. “Anybody that remotely knows me, knows how much influence that [Bryant] had on me as a kid and inspired [me] to reach my goals. It’s definitely something I don’t take for granted, I don’t take lightly.”
Tatum’s career-defining summer will continue with Team USA at their next exhibition game, which takes place against the Australian men’s national team in Abu Dhabi at 12 p.m. on July 15 on FS1.