Is tough love the key to greatness, or does it do more harm than good?

Growing up in difficult circumstances is something many people experience but may find hard to talk about, and Jayson Tatum is no exception. The Boston Celtics star didn’t have an ideal childhood. While some might think that having a father like Justin, with a basketball background, would have benefited Jayson, the reality was more complicated.

Tatum has shared accounts of his challenging upbringing, including instances of his father, Justin, physically disciplining him in public. In the seventh episode of Netflix’s new docuseries Starting 5, Justin offers his perspective on the events.

Justin acknowledged the difficulties of co-parenting, admitting, “The co-parenting thing was tough.” At just 18 years old when Jayson was born, he described himself as a “hard-headed young man.” Reflecting on his parenting style, he explained, “I was a little harsh and tough on him at times, but it was for the fact that I needed him to understand that life is not gonna be easy. And so if you wanna love this game, put your all into it.”

He found that as the only solution to motivate Tatum toward success. Justin further claimed, “There is a button Jayson has that needs to be pushed, and when it’s pushed, unbelievable.” With the Netflix series showing glimpses of Tatum’s 2023/24 performance, Justin’s words were in clear sync with what he meant.

What Tatum senior didn’t realize was that his toughness strained the relationship with his son. In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Jayson confirmed that he was afraid. “I was scared of him, and he would, like, grab me by my shirt and pin me up against the wall and cuss me out for everybody. And I would be bawling, like, crying. He called me on my name. But then I would come out at halftime, and I would outscore the rest of the team, and we would win,” Tatum shared.

Despite his tough upbringing, Jayson expressed gratitude for the push his father gave him, crediting it for helping him achieve the highest honors in the league. However, he’s determined to have a different relationship with his own son, Deuce, choosing to raise him with a much gentler approach.

Jayson Tatum has a different take on his relationship with his son

Much like his father, Jayson Tatum became a dad quite early (19 years), which didn’t seem thrilling to him. He was just starting his career and he felt that it could take a toll on him. But once his baby boy was born, he melted.

“I know — that having Deuce at that age grounded me. Because whatever decision I wanted to make, I had to make sure that he was taken care of. I couldn’t just up and go or do everything that some of my peers were doing because I had to go home and put him to bed,” Tatum told AP News. “Or for Father’s Day weekend I was going out of town, or I had to skip out on this trip with my friends because it was my weekend with him.”

Tatum believes that it isn’t a sacrifice that he is making, rather he chose to spend time with his little one over his companions to give him the special bond that he always missed having with Justin. While Jayson Tatum cannot mend his relationship with his father, he does his best to provide a better life for his mini-version.