The internet is a real gutter.
There is a viral fake tweet circulating among NBA fans suggesting that Jayson Tatum, the star player for the Boston Celtics, is planning to change his name.
Tatum has been open about his admiration for the late Kobe Bryant and even had the opportunity to train with the legendary Los Angeles Lakers player after he was drafted. He has admitted that he models his game after Bryant and has displayed many similarities on the basketball court.
In a memorable moment, Tatum wore a purple “24” armband during Game 7 of the 2022 NBA Eastern Conference finals as a tribute to Kobe. He explained to reporters after the game that Bryant was his idol, inspiration, and favorite player, and he wanted to honor him with the armband.
Jayson Tatum texted Kobe before Game 7 pic.twitter.com/PHFAdD0DVD
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) May 30, 2022
While many NBA fans appreciate Tatum’s admiration for Bryant, some find it a bit cheesy.
However, a tweet from a parody account called NBACentel claiming that Tatum is legally changing his name to “Kobe Bryant” fueled the hoax.
major love for Kobe.
— Darrelle Revis (@Revis24) July 16, 2023
— SKII MASK JORDAN (@SkiiMaskJordan) July 16, 2023
What?
Why?
What? pic.twitter.com/uUoGmWOlBu— Milos NS (@MilosNSNS) July 16, 2023
Damn, does that mean his sons name is changing as well?
— LORDJAY*** (@Lordyduhhh) July 16, 2023
Not building his own brand.
— lester (@imbrolester) July 16, 2023
dude will be a Laker in 2 years. He loves Kobe more than he loves Boston. Kind of sad. Celtics needs to lock Brown in with the extension and Trade Tatum before it's too late
— Sports Steady Tv (@SportsSteadyTV) July 16, 2023
This post has gained a significant amount of attention, with 3.5 million views and 32,000 likes at the time of writing.
It should be noted that the tweet is fake.
NBACentel is a parody account that has managed to deceive many fans, mistakenly believing it is the legitimate NBACentral account, which provides genuine NBA news on social media.
While Tatum’s obsession with Bryant is evident, he is not actually changing his name to Kobe Bryant. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that Tatum had even texted Bryant before the aforementioned Game 7.
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