Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum adds authorship to his long list of accomplishments with his new children’s book, “Baby Dunks-a-Lot,” which is inspired by his life as a father to his 6-year-old son, Jayson “Deuce” Tatum Jr.
The book, co-written with author Sam Apple, is a whimsical tale of a young child who becomes a basketball star.
Tatum said Apple’s team came to him with the idea for the book two years ago, based on the relationship he had with Deuce. He said like many parents, they often read together.
“To share part of our routine and story with the rest of the world, I was very excited about that,” Tatum said.
The book contains several light-hearted moments that all parents can relate to, from playful chaos on the field to the all-important nap.
“Honestly, my favorite part is when he and his teammates take a nap,” Tatum said. “Obviously, as a parent, you need your kids to take a nap. In the NBA, we all take naps before the game.”
Besides playful moments, Tatum wanted to be sure that the book’s illustrations represented what he saw growing up.
“Representation was super important in creating this book and being organic and showing black and brown kids that it’s possible to be in books,” Tatum said.
Reflecting on his own childhood, Tatum said that while his mother did not play basketball, she supported him by taking him to practice and making sure he was on top of his game.
Heading into the upcoming NBA season, Tatum said he doesn’t think it will be an easy road, despite only winning one championship.
“I was super proud of, you know, what we were able to accomplish, coming into next season and just saying we’re going to do it again is going to be insensitive,” Tatum said. “Our mindset is not, let’s win the championship again. Let’s start over. Let’s get better every day and not skip any steps. And that’s why we were successful last season.”