Tatum said Deuce was originally supposed to be named Jackson instead of Jayson Tatum Jr.
“I remember holding him and thinking, ‘Oh no he looks just like me. I want him to be a Jr.’ ”
Getty
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 17: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts after their 132-106 win over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on January 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics have spent most of the last year watching Jayson Tatum move through different versions of himself.
There was the injured star working his way back from a ruptured Achilles. There was the late-season return that gave Boston a real hope going into the playoffs. Then came the Game 7 absence against the Philadelphia 76ers, when knee stiffness kept him on the bench as the Celtics’ season ended at TD Garden.
Now, with the offseason here, Tatum has been reflecting on a different part of his life.
In a recent appearance on the Glass Half Full podcast, Tatum shared the story behind Deuce’s name, and it started with a plan that changed the moment he became a father.
Tatum became a father at 19 years old. He was fresh out of Duke, preparing for his first NBA season, moving to Boston, and stepping into a life that already came with pressure. Fatherhood was not part of the plan that early. Neither was the name his son eventually received.
The original plan was Jackson.
Tatum said he and Deuce’s mother had settled on the name before his son was born. Then the doctor handed him his child, and the plan changed.
“I remember holding him and thinking…Oh no he looks just like me. I want him to be a Jr.” Tatum said.
That was it.
Jackson became Jayson Tatum Jr. The nickname Deuce followed because his mother did not want to call both of them Jayson.
Deuce is eight years old now. Celtics fans have watched him grow up around the franchise, from postgame moments to championship celebrations. He has become part of Tatum’s story in Boston, not as a side note, but as one of the people who helped shape it.
Tatum said Deuce was originally supposed to be named Jackson instead of Jayson Tatum Jr.
“I remember holding him and thinking, ‘Oh no he looks just like me. I want him to be a Jr.’ ”
Tatum was 19, entering the NBA, and trying to build a career in one of the league’s most demanding markets. He has been honest about how unsure he felt. He was not fully prepared. He was thinking about his own future, his own career, and the life he was trying to create.
That changed when Deuce arrived.
Fatherhood gave Tatum a responsibility that basketball alone could not. It forced him to grow up faster. It gave him something bigger than minutes, shots, and expectations to think about.
The teenager who arrived in Boston with uncertainty became the player the Celtics built around. He became a champion. He became a father whose son was on the floor during some of the most important moments of his career.
The two stories have always been connected.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 17: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics holds the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy with his son, Jayson Christopher Tatum Jr., after Boston’s 106-88 win against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Celtics are entering an offseason that will be shaped by hard questions.
The Game 7 loss to Philadelphia still sits there. So does the reality of Boston’s roster decisions, and the pressure that comes with trying to win again after Banner 18. The next few months matter.
But Tatum has already made clear what he is chasing next.
In the same interview, he put it simply: Another championship. A Finals MVP. In Boston.
Tatum’s son was supposed to be named Jackson. Then one look changed the plan.
It is a small detail, but it says plenty about the bond Celtics fans have watched grow over the years. Deuce was there before the championships, before the Finals MVP chase, before Tatum became one of the faces of the franchise.
He was there at the beginning.
Fatherhood gave Tatum responsibility before he expected it. It made him grow up quickly, just as his NBA life was starting in Boston. Now, eight years later, Deuce is not just part of Tatum’s life. He is part of his Celtics story.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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