Did Jayson Tatum grow up without his father? Closer look at NBA champion’s family

Did Jayson Tatum grow up without his father? (Jayson Tatum IG)

Jayson Tatum captured the first championship of his young NBA career on Monday. He would not have been able to succeed at the highest level if it weren’t for his support system pushing him to be the best.

Growing up, Tatum had far from a normal home life. When his parents gave birth to him, they were both in college. Things got even more complicated when the two split up.

Throughout his young life, Jayson Tatum always lived with his mother. However, his dad was still in the picture in a sense. For a brief time when Jayson was young, Justin Tatum moved overseas to play basketball professionally in Europe. He eventually returned to U.S. and built a relationship with his son.

When Jayson got older, his became his trainer and coach. During an interview with “People” magazine, the Boston Celtics star opened up on how this dynamic affected their relationship.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

“I feel like I missed out on a father-son relationship,” he said. “Me and my dad only ever went to games or practice and to get haircuts. We didn’t go to amusement parks. We didn’t go to picnics, or fishing, or really have father-son talks because it was just all basketball.”

Jayson Tatum shares a close bond with his mother

Since he never actually lived with his father, Jayson Tatum’s mother has always been his primary caretaker. While this was likely a rocky journey for the both of them, some good did come of it. That being the two having an extremely close relationship.

During his pro day at Duke, Tatum suffered a foot injury. At the time, nobody knew how serious it was. When Tatum’s mother got the news, she quickly sprung into action, boarding a plane that night to be by her son’s side.

Jayson Tatum has never been shy about the bond he has with his mother. While speaking with ESPN back 2016, he referred to himself as the biggest mamma’s boy ever.

“She’s my best friend,” Tatum said. “I’m the biggest mama’s boy ever, and I’m proud to say it.”

Brandy Cole-Barnes has never left her son’s side and has played a role in getting him to where he is now. Tatum has cited that both of his parents showed tough love at times and always continued to push him.

Despite raising Tatum as a single mother, Cole-Barnes still managed to get herself a higher education. She attended law school, where her son would accompany her to class at times. She now works as an attorney.

Was this article helpful?