Jayson Tatum only has one regret when he reflects on the memory of Kobe Bryant.
“I wish I would’ve called him more,” he said to Andscape. “I wish I would’ve texted him more.”
He then revealed the reason for his rare messages to the legend.
“I never wanted to bother him,” Tatum said. “We knew each other. He told me to text him [and] call him anytime. But I was almost scared. I can only imagine all the things he has going on. I don’t want to bother him.”
Jan. 26 marked the fourth anniversary of Bryant’s tragic death, alongside his daughter Gigi Bryant, John Altobelli, Kerri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan. As the basketball world reflected on the loss of one of their giants, Tatum thought back to the short time he spent with him.
“And obviously after what happened, I wish I would’ve reached out more,” Tatum said. “I had so many questions I wanted to know the answers to. I should have called him more, and it taught me a lesson.
“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.”
