Jayson Tatum is not just a stupendous basketball player but also a heartthrob. While he has millions of fans worldwide due to his versatility in basketball, the handsome player also has many female fans. So, of course, his female fans have been curious to know more about the rumors related to Jayson Tatum wife Ella Mai.
While the two have been rumored to be dating since 2020, there is no news of marriage so far. So, all the female fans can calm down. The American basketball sensation is unmarried for now.
Is Jayson Tatum wife of Ella Mai?
The basketball player and Ella Mai fuelled some strong rumors when they were seen together over the holiday of 4th July. The two made their first public appearance at a Hamptons party.
Around the middle of 2020, Tatum started dating Ella Mai. This relationship also gave rise to rumors about Jayson Tatum wife, Ella Mai. But this was false too. They are not married but have had a loving relationship for three years.
Ella Mai is a renowned singer and lyricist. Born on 3rd November 1994, her first album “Boo’d Up” broke all records after its release. It was released in 2018. The same year, Ella Mai created a storm in the music world with back-to-back hits like Trip, Naked, and Shot Clock.
Her latest album, “Heart on my sleeve,” was released six months back. It has garnered over 700k YouTube views and received positive feedback. She attended the British and Irish Modern Music Institute in London in 2014. This is where her aspiration of becoming a singer rose.
Was Jayson Tatum wife of Toriah Lachell?
Tatum’s claim to fame is his game, but he has also been in the limelight for his past relationships. One such relationship that made it to the headlines was with Toriah Lachell. It was when Tatum got into Duke and played college ball that Toriah’s pregnancy came to Tatum’s attention.
Though the two never got married, some gossip mongers fed fodder to the topic of Jayson Tatum wife would be Toriah Lachell. On the contrary, they broke up in 2016, right before Jayson got selected by the NBA. Both have a son Jayson Christopher Tatum Jr.
To put his relationship status in a nutshell, rumors about Jayson Tatum wife Ella Mai and Toriah Lachell are all baseless. The basketball player is in a relationship with Ella Mai currently.
Also, the basketball player has always steered clear of questions related to Jayson Tatum wife. This is because he prefers to get attention for his game than his personal life.
Jayson Tatum
Early Life with mom
Jayson Christopher Tatum was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on 3rd March 1998. His father, Justin Tatum, is a basketball coach and gym teacher at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis. His mother, Brandy Cole, is an attorney. Surprisingly, his parents were just 19 years old when Tatum was born.
Tatum has stated in multiple interviews that his childhood was rough. The family had to struggle financially for the fifteen years he spent in St. Louis. According to Tatum, he has to see it all in his childhood. From getting an eviction notice out of their house in St. Louis to having a blue tarp over their home as they lacked the money to build a proper roof.
Tatum got into basketball right from his high school phase. He was so passionate about the game that he would often practice in the backyard of his home every day. He was just seven years old when he got the hoop in his backyard.
In fact, all he did as a kid was play basketball. Tatum would be in his backyard any time of the day. He enjoyed the sport so much that he rarely cared about disturbing his neighbors and would practice even at odd hours!
Tatum’s equation with his dad
Speaking about his father, Tatum has often said that his father was his basketball coach and mentor. He even played one-on-one with his dad in eighth grade and defeated his father for the first time. He describes that as the most beautiful feeling ever.
Being a sportsperson himself, Justin Tatum was always challenging his son. Instead, he sometimes pushed Tatum’s limits just to see him perform better. As per Tatum, this precisely made him achieve everything he has today.
Controversies shrouding Tatum
One of the most stupefying experiences in Tatum’s life was the pregnancy of his high school girlfriend. This is also his most significant controversy in the public eye so far.
Tatum had just turned 19 when this happened. When asked about this, Tatum said he felt “sick in his stomach .”This happened a few weeks before high school ended.
At a time when he had to focus on Duke and preparing himself for the draft, this came as a shocker. Concerned that this incident might deter his path toward the NBA, the player claims he had hidden the news from his team for a long time.
Jayson Tatum entry into basketball
Jayson Tatum is one of the most brilliant basketball players in America. He is part of the Top 100 players list released by ESPN. Tatum occupies the eleventh position on this list. As Tatum played basketball even during high school and college, his mentors believed he was born to be a basketball player.
He attended Charminade College Preparatory School. Right from his freshman year, Tatum had started displaying his prowess. He had an average of 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds at a young age. He was named “Co-player of the year” in the Metro Catholic Conference in 2013.
The same year, Tatum was heading the Red Devils. The team had two significant victories at the MCC and Missouri District 2 crowns. By the time he was a sophomore, Tatum had an average of 26.0 points and 11.0 rebounds for every game.
His performance escalated further when he averaged 25.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game during his junior year. He got the Second-team Naismith Trophy All-American honors. This was an incredible honor to receive at such a young age.
In his senior year (2015), Tatum boasted an average of 29.6 points and 9.1 rebounds. He was named the Gatorade National player of the year in 2016.
Jayson Tatum at Duke University
A notable milestone in Tatum’s basketball career is when he got into Duke University and played varsity basketball. It was an enormous achievement and a moment of pride for the player.
After joining Duke, Tatum missed a few games in 2016 due to a foot injury. However, he returned to the court in December 2016 with the ACC Tournament Championship. Duke’s Blue Devils won against Elon by 11 points with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Overall, the team had a 72 over Elon’s 61.
Hereafter there was no stopping the basketball sensation as he only slayed. Blue Devils defeated Georgia Tech in 2017 by 53 points and then won over Boston College just a few days later. The other teams that the Blue Devils defeated that year back to back were Miami, Virginia, and Wake Forest.
The Blue Devils concluded the championship with an overall win by finally defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
In an interview with Sage Steele, Tatum said, “College was so much fun. Just being at Duke and understanding how much pride and history comes with that, being on the center stage every night…I loved everything about it.” His experience with college football is clearly a testimony to the same.
Professional basketball career
2017-18
Right after his freshman year at Duke, Tatum decided to go for the 2017 selection of the NBA. Tatum was the third player to be chosen in the 2017 NBA draft. He was selected by the Boston Celtics. Tatum once said it felt “like the world’s weight was lifted from my shoulders.”
At the NBA Summer League held the same year, Tatum displayed his flair for football with an average of 18.7 points and 9.7 rebounds. His potential was there for all to see. However, despite his superior performance in his debut game, the Boston Celtics lost to Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Summer League was a tough series for Boston Celtics. Tatum did a great job at defending the Celtics against the Cavaliers. However, LeBron from the Cleveland Cavaliers was a tough competition. Due to his sheer brilliance, Cavaliers defeated the Celtics though Tatum’s performance was praiseworthy.
Tatum took a phenomenal leap to make a basket against LeBron. This became a significant moment for the former, as LeBron was considered a legend. Tatum also tied the rookie record for the most 20-point games in the playoffs. The young basketball sensation amazed LeBron so much that the latter said Tatum was “built for stardom.”
However, the Boston Celtics won 16 games after Tatum’s debut game. Tatum specifically outshined the rest of the team with his gleaming performance. Tatum averaged 14.3 points across the 16 games. The Celtics concluded the season with 55 victories and stood second.
2019-20
In 2019, Tatum scored the record high of his career; 39 points and 12 rebounds. The Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets that year by 26 points. Out of the three years that Tatum was on the team, the Celtics had succeeded twice in progressing to the finals of the Eastern Conference.
In 2020, Tatum entered a 5-year contract with Boston Celtics in a whopping $195 million deal. Tatum scored 30 points in the opening game. He also earned the team 3 game-winning points out of the 30.
2021-22
In 2021, Tatum’s brilliant performance ensured a clean win for the Celtics against the Detroit Pistons. Tatum brought another victory for his team against the Toronto Raptors a day later.
However, everything stopped when Tatum tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2021. He missed quite some games due to this and suffered a significant setback. However, in February, Tatum was selected by the NBA for a consecutive second all-star game.
In April, the Boston Celtics won against Minnesota Timberwolves. This game was particularly significant for Tatum as he was the 3rd highest points scorer of the Celtics. In October 2021, Tatum had 41 points and 7 rebounds in a game that the Boston Celtics won against the Charlotte Hornets.
2022-23
The following year in February, Tatum was selected for his 3rd consecutive All-Star appearance. In 2022 Tatum was declared the Eastern Conference Finals AVP at the inaugural event of the series. This was a laurel of much repute, especially at a young age.
In November 2022 Celtics won against the Miami Heat, where Tatum scored 49 points out of the 134 points earned by the Celtics. In the same game, he established himself as the youngest player in NBA to achieve 900 3-pointers. He was only 24 years old at the time. This was enormous because Tatum replaced his predecessor Bradley Beal, who was 25 years old when he achieved the same feat.
In 2023, Tatum displayed another series of phenomenal performances. The Celtics won against Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans in January. Tatum out showed in both games with an average of 30 points.
Final thoughts
Tatum was the first member of the Boston Celtics to obtain over 30 points and 15 rebounds in a game. The last Celtics player to achieve the same was Paul Pierce in 2002. The basketball player also broke the NBA record by reaching 9000 career points before attaining 25 years of age.
A stunning fourth consecutive selection to the 2023 NBA All-Star game won him the title of Eastern Conference starter. This was the fourth time he was selected but his first time as a starter.
In conclusion, Tatum’s latest cherry on the cake has been the record-breaking achievement of 10,000 career points at 24 years and 244 days.
