Rival wears mentor label
Terry provides guidance for Tatum
MILWAUKEE — Jayson Tatum and his mom, Brandy, were leaving the Harbor House after dinner here Thursday night when an Escalade pulled up. They thought it was their Uber XL.
Instead it was a 19year NBA veteran — and a friend.
“We had a good laugh about that,” said Bucks guard Jason Terry.
The 6-foot-2 shooter has been in the Celtic rookie’s corner for about eight years now, and even though their teams are meeting in this first-round series, some important parts of the relationship haven’t changed.
“No, not at all,” said Terry, who rode the pine as the host Bucks closed within 2-1 on the strength of Friday’s 116-92 win. “I still encourage him. Even when I saw him in warmups the other night, I told him, ‘Keep up the good work. Stay aggressive. Do what you do.’
“It’s one thing to be competitive, but when you’re close to a kid and you genuinely care about someone, you know, we’ll compete when the whistle’s up, but before and after, it’s all love.”
The two became acquainted when Terry was coaching a girls AAU hoop team that included Tatum’s stepsister. Her father, Brandy’s husband, Marcus “Jake” Barnes, had another member of the extended family to introduce.
“We were at a Reebok AllAmerican camp when I met Jayson’s stepdad, Jake,” Terry said. “He was a counselor there. He said, ‘Man, you know what? I got a young fella.’
“I’m like, ‘What you mean?’ And he said, ‘I got this young sixth grader out of St. Louis, and I’m telling you he’s going to be a pro.’
“He pulls up the YouTube footage and says, ‘His name is JT, kinda like you, your initials. I’m telling you, the kid can go.’ I said, ‘Man, let me see him.’
“The moves he was doing were incredible. Then he had a tape of just his workout. Not in a game, just his workout. It was an NBA workout. I said, ‘This kid’s going to be a pro.’ I said, ‘Let me meet him. Let me talk to him. Put me on the phone with him.’”
Barnes made the call, and Terry spoke up.
I told him, ‘Man, look, I’m a huge fan. Keep up the good work. I’ll see you in this league one day,’” Terry said.
Tatum kept the date, getting to the NBA as the third overall pick last June. He and Terry continued to stay in touch, but the rookie needed to experience some things for himself.
The first time they saw each other in professional uniforms was the second game of the Celtics season. Tatum had started in the opener, as well, but that game in Cleveland was marred by Gordon Hayward’s injury.
After the Bucks dropped the Celts to 0-2 (before the C’s took off on a 16-game winning streak), Terry and Tatum had a heart to heart.
“They were still shell-shocked from the night before,” Terry said, “and I’m telling him, ‘Get over it. These games come quick. By the time you know it, you’ve already played your college season.’ I said, ‘Get your rest. Get a routine and get your rest.’ The faster you learn how to recover, the more longevity you’ll have.
“It was a good 20-minute conversation outside the buses before we departed the arena.”
The talks continued throughout the season.
“Before the All-Star break, I had a talk with him,” said Terry, who, at 40, is twice Tatum’s age. “I said, ‘You’ve got a shot at being Rookie of the Year. You’re on a winning team, and you’ve been the most consistent out of all the rookies.”
For now, Jayson Tatum will try to be a major contributing factor in the Celtics taking a 3-1 lead in this series. Jason Terry will be hoping Tatum plays well in defeat.
The veteran is among those who have helped drive the rookie to this point, but there’s only so far Terry can take him on this particular trip. Hey, the man doesn’t work for Uber.