6’8” Jayson Tatum’s Towering Figure Forces 20-Year-Old Olympic Medalist Gymnast to Bring out Hilarious Christmas Wish
Christmas is the time for getting wishes granted. However, oftentimes, people wish for things that might be a little far-fetched for even Santa to fulfill. Ever heard of people wishing for a little bit more height? Well, while the average person might want to have a little more height, as it turns out, star Olympians too may have a similar ask. Likewise, in one of the most hilarious interactions this Christmas, a rising gymnastics star had an outrageous wish to make. Even after winning an Olympic bronze medal!
In a recent meet-up with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, Frederick Richards had a hilarious Christmas ask from Santa. The 20-year-old uploaded a picture of himself standing with the NBA star in a recent Instagram post. Both the stars looked quite relaxed as they shared a good smile with each other. However, there was one little problem that met the naked eye. The 5’5” frame of Richards looked significantly miniscule to the towering 6’8” height of Jayson Tatum. And while the difference was quite visible, the Olympic bronze medalist could not help but point out the same and make a wish for Christmas!
Richards wrote, “All I want for Christmas is to look less short standing next to @jaytatumO” Now, while Santa might not be able to fulfill his Christmas wish, Richards is surely gaining a lot of height in terms of social media popularity. It all began with his quest in the Paris Olympics, and now, with some shining updates of his life, he truly keeps his fans intrigued. And his recent stories unveil the same.
For the uninitiated, Richards went to the Boston Celtics stadium to watch the festive celebrations and grandeur just before the match between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. Fred Richards added a few updates on his Instagram handle that reveal a few glimpses of the time he has been enjoying there. Moreover, to show his support for the Celtics, Richards donned their jersey over a blue pullover hoodie.
In one of the stories, an expert can be seen performing a stunt on wheels. Even after being an Olympic bronze medal-winning gymnast himself and performing complicated gymnastic routines, still Frederick Richards seems to be mesmerized by the act. Expressing his excitement, Richards added, “THAT’S JUST DIFFERENT,” followed by a shocked face emoji. Moving on, Richards posed with the Celtics mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun, and captioned his subsequent story, “BEST MASCOT OUT HERE.” Unfortunately, the gymnast’s visit to the Boston Celtics’ home was seemingly not enough to see them through.
Facing off against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Celtics succumbed to a hard-fought 114-118 defeat. Thus, Jayson Tatum and co. will surely look to make a swift turnaround to keep their playoff hopes alive. Now, Richards’s recent interaction with Tatum was not the only time he brushed shoulders against an NBA star. The 20-year-old learned the art of dunking once from a former NBA champion.
Iman Shumpert has had an illustrious career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Being an NBA champion, Shumpert is famous for his big one-handed dunks that made him a sensation. Olympic bronze medalist Frederick Richards wanted to have a piece of similar talent. So in October 2024, taking lessons from the NBA legend, Richards fumbled the ball out of nervousness the first time. However, from the second attempt onwards, the gymnasts started to improve.
Unfortunately, even with tips from Shumpert, the Olympic bronze medalist was unable to make the perfect dunk. This was until Shumpert lifted the 20-year-old by his waist and made him reach the rim, which he struggled to find due to his height. Finally, being able to put the ball in the basket, a triumphant Richards high-fived the NBA legend. Posting about his experience, Richards wrote on his Instagram, “Now I just gotta grow to 6ft and I’ll be slamming it.” Thus, he may wish to gain some more height, but Frederick Richards’ towering presence in American men’s gymnastics doesn’t let us think about it even for a bit!
