BOSTON — In addition to airing every game of the 2024 NBA Finals on our station, WFAA is also hosting a special presentation called "The Pregame" before each and every matchup in the series. Head here for more information.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has always been outspoken about his affinity and admiration for late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
What some people might not know is Bryant actually worked out for the arch rival of the Lakers, the Boston Celtics, as one of his seven pre-draft workouts. A photo of that workout -- with Bryant donning Celtics green -- may seem fake, but it's not AI. It's completely real.
In the pre-game shootaround before Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals in which his Boston Celtics will face off against the Dallas Mavericks, Tatum rocked a shirt bearing the same design as the one Kobe wore for his pre-draft Celtics workout.
Celtics assistant coach Dennis Johnson, a Hall of Famer who won two championships with the team during the 1980s (including one over the Lakers in 1984), ran the workout, according to a report by ESPN.
Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January 2020, which sent shockwaves around the sports world. Bryant's daughter, 13-year-old Gianna, a.k.a "Gigi," was also on board alongside seven others.
Tatum will lead the Celtics against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. The entire series will air on WFAA.
More Dallas Mavericks coverage: