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Jayson Tatum stays in touch with LeBron because he can’t call Kobe

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has never hidden his admiration for the late, great Kobe Bryant. He grew up a Los Angeles Lakers fan. He donned Kobe’s gear throughout his childhood. And, when he got to the NBA, one of the first players he worked out with was… Kobe. Following the Lakers legend’s tragic passing, along with his daughter Gianna, Tatum has some regrets.

One of the main regrets is not reaching out to his hero more regularly. Tatum recently discussed the lessons he learned from Kobe’s passing during an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape. One of the more interesting points from the interview is how Tatum has begun conversing with LeBron James as he continues to navigate different aspects of life in the NBA.

“I wish I would’ve reached out more. I had so many questions I wanted to know the answers to. I should have called him more and it taught me a lesson,” Tatum said. “Now I don’t hold back with older guys in the league now, like ’Bron. ’Bron is somebody that I text and call a lot, and it could be from basketball to how to take care of your body to business decisions off the court. People are willing to give you answers, you just have to ask.”

Tatum is a genuine superstar. He has his own sneaker range. Has just been selected to his fifth consecutive All-Star team. He is a multi-time All-NBA First-Team Selection. And he is approaching a likely supermax contract extension.

Leaning on the experienced mind of LeBron, despite him playing for the Lakers, is a smart decision. You have to get the knowledge from somewhere; LeBron is the closest thing you have to the source. Celtics fans might not like it, but if it helps lead to Banner 18, who are we to argue?

Listen to the “Green With Envy” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3DoLhYK

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Oj4dhD

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3K8MbvY

Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire