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Featured Image Credit: Getty Images
Topics: NBA, Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, Basketball
Ryan Baldi
Jayson Tatum has become one of the biggest stars in the NBA since he entered the league as a teenager in 2017, but even he was star struck upon meeting Michael Jordan.
The Boston Celtics forward is a six-time All-Star and has been selected to the All-NBA First Team three years running.
Last season, he led the Celtics to a record 18th NBA championship and the first the storied franchise had won since 2008.
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Tatum, now 27, was the highest scorer, assist provider and rebounder for his team throughout their playoff run.
And the former Duke standout's fame and status within the game is hardly new. He was the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft and quickly established himself as a key player for one of the biggest teams in the sport.
But, during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the Boston star told the story of the time he first met NBA GOAT Michael Jordan, and how his nervousness led to an embarrassing moment.
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"So the same day I met [MJ] and I announced that I was signing to Jordan Brand, later that evening, they had a dinner for all the athletes. And I walk in, I was still — I think I’d just turned 21," Tatum said.
"It was MJ, his wife and Spike Lee, he was sitting at the table, and my table was like over there, and I just wanted to go introduce myself again and sit down.
"I was so nervous, my hands were shaking, and I go to shake his hand and I knock over his wine glass. And I spill it everywhere, and I break the glass, and I’m speechless.
"And he was super cool about it, because that’s probably happened to him a thousand times. And that’s something we laugh about to this day."
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The Celtics are currently second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 41-16 as they hope to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in 2017.