The relationship Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum have is one of the most special and unique bonds in the league right now. This is as close to a big brother-younger brother dynamic that we haven't seen in this league that often. Beal and Tatum are both from Missouri and have known each other since they were both kids, with Beal even being Tatum's babysitter at the start of their friendship.
Both players making it to the NBA and playing at All-NBA and All-Star levels is incredible. Beal is watching Tatum play in his first NBA Finals, a feeling that he himself is yet to experience.
During a recent interview with Taylor Rooks where Beal opened up on his future with the Washington Wizards, Rooks prepared a message from Jayson Tatum where Tatum thanks Beal for everything he has done for him and the game of basketball. Beal gets choked up watching the video message and had this to say about his impact on Tatum's life.
"I love this man. It's surreal. That's dope. For me, I didn't have that image per se. To me, my older brother was my favorite player, outside of the GOATS. I didn't have that image of what a pro was like going through that phase. That was my way of learning. It's funny that he talks about my AAU team because he was part of that. That just speaks volumes of his character and it's who he is."
Beal and Tatum show incredible respect for each other every time they interact. Tatum's message here gave Beal full credit for helping him come up, saying that people may not give him (Beal) the credit for that, but he (Tatum) will.
Beal has previously said he thinks Tatum will be 1000x better than him in the NBA. As he watches Tatum be two wins away from an NBA Championship, Beal will feel nothing but love and admiration for his younger brother who has reached the Promised Land.
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