Jayson Tatum is now one of the best NBA players, even though he is no longer 19 years old. After helping the Celtics make it to the NBA Finals in 2021–22, Tatum seems to have put himself in the running for MVP early this season.
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Tatum, like most NBA players, had to get past a lot of problems to get to where he is now. And one of them featured his mother giving him a strict ultimatum about his education.
Brandy Cole is Tatum’s mother. She is an attorney and has several degrees to her name. And because of her past, Brandy was very strict about school.
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Tatum has been crazy about basketball since he was a kid, which made it hard for him to find the right mix between school and basketball. Brandy Cole also made sure Tatum didn’t have the choice to not do well in school. What’s her secret weapon? Tatum is being taken out of basketball.
Tatum seems to have been a dedicated basketball fan since he was a child. Around the age of 8, the Celtics star looked like he was headed for fame, and his parents knew it.
His mother, in particular, was very strict about the fact that the young star cannot put school before fame. Cole stated that he used basketball as a way to push Tatum, then a young man, to do better in school.
Tatum’s mother saw him not doing well in school while he was in a game as a third-grader. And she didn’t agree with this at all. Cole took young Jayson out of the event right away.
Tatum would have been shocked and scared that his mother would do something so harsh. If you’ve been into sports since you were a kid, not being able to play hoops is the worst thing that could happen.
It’s clear that Cole’s plan worked. The “leverage” was clear, and Tatum found a way to balance his plans to become a basketball star with his schoolwork.
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Jayson finally did well enough in school to get into Duke University, which is known for having strict academic standards even for athletes. Tatum finished from high school with a 3.5 GPA, which is a great score. Cole’s early use of leverage paid off, and Jayson guaranteed his future while also doing well in school.