Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum has opened up about one of the most personal and transformative moments of his life: the birth of his oldest son, Deuce. In a candid interview on the May 12 episode of Craig Melvin’s “Glass Half Full” podcast, the six-time NBA All-Star revealed that his son’s name was almost entirely different — and the emotional instant that changed everything.
Deuce, now 8 years old, was born in December 2017, just 12 games into Tatum’s rookie NBA season. At the time, Tatum was only 19, freshly departed from Duke University and adjusting to life in Boston as a young professional athlete. Fatherhood, he admitted, was far from part of the plan.
“I was afraid. I was just leaving Duke. I was entering my new career. I was moving to Boston. New profession. I was starting my new life, and now I’m about to be a father,” Tatum recalled. He described feeling unprepared and even hesitant about the responsibility, acknowledging that his focus at the time was largely on himself and his burgeoning career.
Yet everything shifted the moment Deuce entered the world.
“The moment it changed was when he was born and the doctor handed him to me,” Tatum said.
The original name chosen by Tatum and Deuce’s mother, Toriah Lachell, was Jackson. It was a name they had agreed upon during the pregnancy. But holding his newborn son for the first time, Tatum experienced an overwhelming sense of recognition and connection.
“He looks just like me,” Tatum realized. In that instant, he knew he wanted his son to be named Jayson Tatum Jr. — a junior to carry on his own name and legacy. Lachell agreed, though she insisted on a nickname because she didn’t want to call the baby Jayson. Thus, “Deuce” was born.
The story offers a rare window into Tatum’s vulnerability during the earliest days of his NBA journey. Far from the polished superstar who would later lead the Celtics to the 2024 NBA championship, the 19-year-old version of Tatum was navigating immense pressure, sudden fame, wealth, and the life-altering reality of parenthood simultaneously.
Tatum has long credited fatherhood with providing the grounding force he needed at a critical stage.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than being a dad, the bond that we have, the memories that we’ve been able to create, the responsibility that it gave me at 19 years old,” he said. “19, you walk into newfound fame and wealth. There can be a lot of bad decisions… For me, being a father gave me a sense of responsibility. That really made me grow up a lot faster than I expected. And it was perfect timing.”
The Celtics forward now shares a second son, Dylan, with singer Ella Mai, further expanding his family. Yet his reflections on Deuce remain particularly poignant, highlighting how an unplanned chapter became the catalyst for maturity and purpose.
Tatum’s revelation is more than a simple naming anecdote — it captures the profound shift many young parents experience when abstract fears give way to immediate, visceral connection. What began as uncertainty transformed into one of the greatest blessings of his life, reshaping his priorities at precisely the moment his career was taking off.