When their son Jayson Tatum was a basketball player in high school, college, and the NBA, his parents Justin and Brandy Cole-Barnes were unwavering supporters.
The “tough love” that Jayson Tatum received from his parents, Justin Tatum and Brandy Cole-Barnes, is what he says has gotten him to this point in his athletic career.
On March 3, 1998, while Justin and Brandy were students at Saint Louis University, their son Jayson was born. Even though Justin and Brandy never lived together and dissolved their relationship, the future Boston Celtics player attended both of their schools when he was a kid. He would often join his mother for classes at UMSL when he was a kid, and he would be a regular in the Saint Louis University basketball locker room while his dad played.
In an interview with ESPN from November 2016, Jayson described his mother, Brandy, as his “best friend” and said that he is a “mama’s boy.” His statement continued, “I’m the biggest mama’s boy ever, and I’m proud to say it.”
One of the more difficult parts of the NBA star’s life as a child was his relationship with his father. In order to follow his dream of being a professional basketball player in the Netherlands, Jayson’s father returned to the US from Europe when he was eight years old, leaving his mother to raise him. No Jayson ever actually lived at home with Dad. Even though Jayson has been the target of his father’s severe criticism and coaching techniques, he is grateful to his dad for helping him progress farther in his job.
“He saw the potential in me before I saw it in myself, so having him be that tough on me in basketball really you know, made me tougher on and off the court,” Jayson explained to KSDK.
The following provides information regarding Jayson Tatum’s parents, Justin Tatum and Brandy Cole-Barnes, including all pertinent details.
When Jayson was born, they were both enrolled in college.
The WCVB reports that upon graduating from University City High, Brandy was presented with a full athletic scholarship from the University of Tennessee. This was because she was a four-year member of the high school volleyball varsity team. A member of the top five students in her class, she also held the position of senior class president.She fell pregnant shortly after graduating from high school, and ESPN reports that she learned she was expecting Jayson shortly after. Instead of going to a school far away, she opted to get her bachelor’s degree in communications and political science at a local St. Louis institution. To help pay for daycare and tuition, she worked many part-time jobs on top of her education.It was a difficult decision, but she felt she had to do it for the sake of both of them, she told the source.Brandy carried on the practice throughout her academic career, even while she was in law school and business school. Brandy would often bring Jayson to class when she was a college student. Jayson wrote about his memories of going to school with his mom for an April 2016 piece for The Players’ Tribune. I recall snacking or losing myself in a book or video game while sitting in the back of her classes, he said.”I remained silent, listening in here and there—I found most of her teachers to be dull and overly talkative,” he elaborated. Nonetheless, she had her own priorities, and I had mine. It was the same old thing. Thus, it is the outcome. My grandma and I would go to school together when my mom couldn’t afford a babysitter and she was still working.When this all happened, Justin was a student and basketball player at Saint Louis University. It would be an opportunity for Jayson to spend time with his father in the locker room as well as on the court, where he would be able to witness the pre-game speeches firsthand. On the other hand, during his formative years, his mother was the primary caregiver for him.When it came to basketball, Justin was a major player.
In becoming an NBA superstar, Jayson followed in his famous father’s footsteps. Larry Hughes, a former NBA player and Justin’s son’s godfather, was a teammate of Justin’s during their time playing basketball at Christian Brothers College. He went on to play basketball at Saint Louis University in college, where he balanced fatherhood and his burgeoning athletic career.
Justin played professional basketball in the Netherlands for three years after finishing college. During that time, Brandy accompanied Jayson on his travels to see his father. It was “tough” for Justin, he told Ladue News, to spend ten months of the year in the Netherlands apart from his son. While abroad, he volunteered to coach youth teams; he brought this experience and expertise back to the United States with him when he decided to coach instead of play.
Following the conclusion of his professional career, he returned to his alma institution, Christian Brothers College, to serve as assistant basketball coach for the 2006–2007 season before taking a post at Soldan International Studies High School. According to his website, Justin has been the head coach at his alma mater for more than ten seasons in a row. Youth camps, where youngsters may learn the game of basketball and make new friends, have been hosted by him for more than ten years.
As he got older, Jayson’s father acted as his trainer and coach to help him achieve his dream of playing basketball professionally. The Celtics star has said that neither his mother nor his father “took it easy” and “were extremely tough” on him, especially his dad. Speaking to Graham Bensinger in October 2022, Jayson got candid about how his father’s coaching “put a strain” on their relationship.
“I feel like I missed out on a father-son relationship,” he said. “Me and my dad only ever went to games or practice and to get haircuts. We didn’t go to amusement parks. We didn’t go to picnics, or fishing, or really have father-son talks because it was just all basketball.”
Jayson said that his father would often swear at him and embarrass him in front of his teammates, including throwing the ball at him. He explained, “In his eyes, he wanted me to be the toughest. He wanted me to be the best.”
“And that was his way … like if he made me upset, I would play better and in a sense, I did,” he continued. “I would get so upset. I would get so angry that I would play better.”
Despite the difficult relationship he had with Justin growing up, Jayson cites the tough love he received from him as the reason for his success today. He explained, “He was so tough on me, which I appreciate, because I wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t.”
In the years since, Jayson has grown very close with his dad, and the father-son duo have mended their relationship.
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Brandy holds several different degrees, including a law degree, which she earned in 2010. When she was in law school, Jayson would often be by her side and would flip through some of her textbooks as she studied.
While speaking to Bleacher Report, she recalled one moment where he declared that he didn’t want to read “these kind of books” and that he just wanted to play basketball, to which she’d tell him, “Well, you better work really hard.”
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Justin is a father to three children: Jayson, Jaycob, and Kayden. Jaycob played football while he was a high school student at Christian Brothers College, the school that his father had attended. He was a key cog in the team’s two state titles. His father’s website states that he is currently a football player at Western Illinois University.
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In 2016, Brandy married her now-husband, Marcus “Jake” Barnes, who previously worked as a counselor at the Reebok All-American Camp, according to the Boston Herald. Jayson shared several photos from the Bahamas wedding on Instagram to celebrate the occasion. In one photo, he poses with the bride and groom as they match in all-white ensembles. “She’s married now! Happy for you Momma! Love ya both,” he wrote in the caption.
In another photo, he can be seen giving his mom a kiss on the cheek. He captioned the sweet shot: “Mommas boy till the end! I’m so happy for her️.”
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Brandy always instilled the importance of maintaining good grades and getting an education in her son. Speaking to Sentinel & Enterprise, Brandy reflected on how she handled the balance between her son’s commitment to basketball, and to the classroom.
“One time I had to call his bluff, because I would always tell him that we don’t do C’s,” she said of her son. “It was B’s and above because I knew what he was capable of. He would always do fine, but one time he tried me, and I kept him home from a tournament. It about killed him. It was fourth or fifth grade. He almost lost it, but ever since then, he knew I meant business.”
Though he only attended Duke University for one year before he was drafted to the NBA, Brandy’s one wish is for Jayson to finish his degree.
“That’s a big thing for me. A lot of Duke kids come back and get their degree. I told him, It doesn’t matter how long it takes. He’s seen how hard I’ve worked,” Brandy said in her interview with ESPN.
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In an interview with Today, Brandy said she knew by the time Jayson was in fourth grade that he would make it to the NBA.
“I knew he was gifted — he would do things and make moves and that you just couldn’t teach,” she said. “It was like it was just innate in him.”
However, Brandy made sure to set boundaries with herself to ensure she was still pushing him to be his best while also allowing him to be a kid.
“We can’t want it more than they do. That’s the biggest thing,” she explained. “And I think sometimes we want to push them more. And so that was the line for me — I would tell him, ‘Listen, I will give you every opportunity, every resource, I’ll do whatever it takes, but you have to do your part.’ “
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Jayson “Deuce” Christopher Tatum Jr. is the son of Jayson, and Jayson is a proud father. On December 6, 2017, the NBA player and his ex-girlfriend, Toriah Lachell, became parents to a son named Deuce. At the time, they were both 19 years old. It was just six months after he was chosen third overall in the NBA draft that he became a father to his first child.
During an interview with Today, Brandy referred to her grandson as a “blessing all the way around.” She continued by saying, “To get to see Jayson in a different light, you know, in a different capacity, and see that something that I never thought possible would bring him more joy than basketball — I think Deuce puts everything in perspective for him.”
The top player for the Boston Celtics has also said that his own childhood serves as influence for the way that he raises his son. While having a conversation with Bensinger in October 2022, he said the following: “When I was growing up, even when I was a kid, I always saw my friends with their dad and how their relationship was bigger than basketball and sports and how they were closer.”
He went on, “I’ve always said I wanted to have a kid,” which was the next thing he said. “And I was like if I ever have a son, I’m going to make sure that we are best friends because I wanted what I didn’t have, in a sense.”
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The 2023 NBA All-Star Game included Jayson, who was chosen to play on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s championship squad. After setting a new scoring mark with 55 points, he was chosen the game’s most valuable player and presented with the Kobe Bryant Trophy by the NBA.
After his son’s historic victory, Justin took to Instagram to celebrate with his family. “Seeing your child achieve their goal is priceless… “Is priceless,” he tweeted, attaching a photo of himself and Jayson with the MVP trophy. My son, @jaytatum0, has scored 55 points, which is the most ever in an All-Star game. You are an incredible young man. HUGE DEUCE, also known as LOVE Chump.