Jayson Tatum's fans may know about his humble beginnings after being born to young parents. However, the story of his family may surprise some after his father, Justin Tatum's recent statement.

Jayson Tatum's father was a basketball coach. He was one of the greatest influences in his life who pushed him towards greatness in the sport. However, according to his father, the NBA's narrative has been different.

"I've seen it when it started with the draft. Mom got interviewed, and sitting right next to her, nothing was asked of me," Justin Tatum said in a recent conversation. "We know what it took to get our kids there. If stuff like that is going to break me, then I don’t need to be around."

The fathers of Jaylen Brown and Dwayne Wade were also present on the podcast. The three discussed how the NBA attempts to present a narrative in which the fathers weren't present in their children's lives.

"It is messed up, but I know my son, how much he cares and loves me, and he knows what we've been through. As long as that matters, I'm good," Justin Tatum added while speaking about fatherhood on the Ultimate Dads Unplugged Podcast.

Dwyane Wade Sr. agreed with the sentiment, pointing out how fathers were excluded from the conversations surrounding their children.

"The NBA, they try to act like they're the fathers," said Dwyane Wade Sr..

Jayson Tatum's parents were 19-years-old when the Boston Celtics star was born. They struggled through various financial hardships which influenceed Tatum's life and personality in many ways.

In a Januar 2026 episode of The Pivot Podcast, Tatum revealed that he believed that perhaps his father's shortcomings were just a part of him growing up.

He also said that his father had always been there for him and that he'd known him his whole life.

Ultimately, for Tatum, there was nothing that he would change about the way he was raised. Now, he aims to teach the same lessons to his son.

Jayson Tatum opens up about raising a son as a millionaire athlete

Tatum's humble beginnings taught him the value of working hard and being dedicated to the job. However, his son, Deuce leads a drastically different life.

In 2026, Tatum was listed as one of the world's highest paid athletes by Forbes magazine. This has its own challenges when it comes to parenting.

"How do I instill some of that in them, you know? That toughness or that work ethic that, you know, just living in St. Louis every day that, you know, was just a part of my everyday life," Tatum said during an episode of The Draymond Green show back in 2022.

He noted that he must work on teaching his son the balance between a life of luxury and working hard. Afterall, given his father's career, Deuce is often present courtside, watching live games, or traveling the world.

This is drastically different compared to have Jayson Tatum grew up.

What do you think about the star's approach to parenting? Let us know in the comments.

Written by

Prit Chauhan

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit