The Celtics had selected another wing, Jaylen Brown, with the third overall pick the year before.

“And then I got drafted and Gordon Hayward signed with the Celtics,” Tatum said. “I called my agent and said, ‘They have to trade me.’ I was in Summer League before I played a game as ‘me’. He’s like ‘relax’. Just wait.’ Basically, he says, ‘you have to relax.'”

“Hey, I’m trying to play,” Tatum added. “They didn’t choose me to come off the bench and not be a starter. He told me, ‘You’re in a great organization, they’re going to teach you how to play the right way.’”

Eight years later, Tatum just won his first championship with the Celtics. He signed a five-year, $314 supermax contract extension that will keep him under contract through 2029, with a player option for the 2030 season.

Tatum said his time with the Celtics has gone well. He also reflected on his initial desire to play for the Lakers, who never hired him for a pre-draft workout.

“For me, I grew up a Kobe fan,” Tatum said. “I always wanted to play for the Lakers. For them to have the No. 2 pick and it was like they didn’t even think they were going to draft me, that was devastating, so I never coached for the Lakers. “They never came to see me work out.”

The Lakers were determined to land Lonzo Ball, who starred at nearby UCLA and Chino Hills. Once the Lakers were decided, Tatum set his sights on the Phoenix Suns.

“I wanted to go to Phoenix. Phoenix had the fourth pick, Earl Watson was the coach. I went out, I was looking at houses, the weather was nice. They had a young team. I was like man, I’m going to play. Then, I remember the coach (Mike Krzyzewski) told me: ‘Boston wants to have you for a second training session, you should go.’”

Tatum said an anonymous Celtics executive had told him he probably wouldn’t be drafted during a previous workout. They later decided to bring Tatum in for another workout. Krzyzewski helped convince Tatum to attend and said Stevens was one of the best coaches in the league.

The Celtics finally traded the No. 1 overall pick to Philadelphia. The 76ers took Markelle Fultz, the Lakers took Ball, and Boston used the third pick to select Tatum.

“The rest was history and everything worked out,” Tatum said.

You can contact Khari Thompson at [email protected].