“I was more worried about getting drafted than I was about being a dad” – Jayson Tatum admits he hid his ex-girlfriend’s pregnancy before the NBA Draft originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum was nearing the end of his freshman year at Duke when his then-girlfriend Toriah Lachell told him she was pregnant. During that time, Tatum was laser-focused on becoming one of the top picks of the 2017 NBA Draft. Because of that, he did not tell anyone that he would be a father very soon.
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JT thought that becoming a father would affect how teams would look at him in the Draft. Fearing he might slide because of that, he kept Lachell’s pregnancy a secret. Looking back, Tatum admitted that what he did was wrong.
“I got sick to my stomach, because this was a week or two before school was ending, so in my mind I’m like I’m about to leave Duke, get ready for my the Draft, live my life — have a blast. And then it’s like, ‘No, you ’bout to have a kid,'” Tatum said.
“I was selfish at first, honestly,” he added. “I was more worried about getting drafted than I was about being a dad, because my whole life I had dreamed about going to the NBA and the best day of my life was two months away. I didn’t tell anybody—I didn’t tell my teammates, the coaches, anything.”
It also took him a while to tell Brad Stevens
Tatum met Lachell in high school. She attended McCluer North High School in Florissant, Missouri, which is just outside St. Louis. Meanwhile, Tatum attended the all-boys Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis. Jayson took her to the prom in 2015, and their relationship blossomed from there.
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“So I remember, I told Brad Stevens. I remember we were on the plane, and one of the trainers knew. He was like, ‘Have you told Brad yet? … Isn’t she due next week? You might miss a game.’ I’m like, ‘Oh s–t,'” recalled JT.
On December 6, 2017, Jayson Christopher “Deuce” Tatum was born. The Celtics hosted the Dallas Mavericks that night, and Tatum did not miss the game. Instead, he went on to score 17 points and pull down 10 rebounds in a 97-90 win by the Celtics.. Two days later, Boston was in San Antonio, playing the Spurs. The new father put up 20 points with 8 rebounds as the Spurs stunned the Celtics 105-102.
Deuce has literally grown beside his dad
But while Tatum hid Deuce from the public before he was born, JT started bringing his son to Celtics games late during the 2018-19 season. Since then, Deuce has been a fixture in Tatum’s games, often sitting courtside across the team’s bench. Last year, Deuce’s birthday happened to be game day at the TD Garden, and he got a surprise from the Celtics.
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“I think for me and him, it’s special that we share these moments together. Deuce was born December 6, 2017,” said JT. “That was a month and a half into my rookie year. It’s crazy that now he’s seven and how much time has passed. But it’s been really special. We’ve grown up here together in Boston. We’ve shared a lot of cool moments and special moments here at the Garden. He was excited about the game today. He liked being on the Jumbotron, so it was a pretty cool moment for a 7-year-old.”
It’s funny how Tatum was scared that fatherhood would affect his draft stock because now, he admits it hasn’t only made him more mature as a person. Still, it’s also inspired him to work harder on his craft.
JT has been an All-Star in each of the last six seasons and a member of the All-NBA first team in the last four. After winning the All-Star Game MVP in 2023, he helped the Celtics win their record-breaking 18th NBA championship in 2024.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.