NBA rising star Jayson Tatum set another record by winning against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 13, while Mark Tatum picked the NBA Draft Lottery for 2024 a day before the match, leading fans to find a connection between the Tatums.
However, Jayson Tatum and Mark Tatum are not related biologically, but maybe they share a love for the NBA.
Mark Tatum. He’s Jayson Tatum’s dad.
— Xin Varlock (@XinNBA) May 16, 2023
The confusion stems from their shared surname and dedication to the NBA. Mark Tatum is around the same age as Jayson’s father, so fans often try to connect the two.
To clear the air, Mark Tatum is not the father of Jayson Tatum. Instead, it is Justin Tatum, an American professional coach and former player.
Jayson Tatum and Mark Tatum come from varying states and ethnicities to be related
The Bolton Celtics power and small forward, Jayson Tatum is 26 years old, born on March 3, 1998, to parents Justin Tatum and Brabdy Cole-Barnes in St. Louis, Missouri.
He identifies himself as African-American. His parents are of African and American descent, but all hold American nationality.
i was today year's old when i found out that jayson tatum has two black parents. 😂 https://t.co/3SQwP6DpBM
— saffron mami (@naazyjoon) November 14, 2023
They met during their college days at St. Louis University, and Justin became a father even before he graduated from SLU in 2001. Brabdy was just 18 when she got pregnant.
As Justin was busy with the Dutch Basketball League (DBL) and the United States Basketball League (USBL) and spent most of his time overseas, Jayson’s mother raised him as a single parent.
Looking at the family connection, Justin is the cousin of former NBA player and coach Tyronn Lue and has a sister and four half-siblings. But none of them mentions Mark Tatum’s name.
On the other hand, Mark Tatum was born to a Chinese mother, Kim Tatum, and a Jamaican father, Charlie Tatum, in Vung Tau, Vietnam, on October 22, 1969.
He comes from a multicultural household and belongs to a mixed ethnicity. His parents were born outside of the United States, so he had to travel a lot as a kid.
Later, they moved to the United States when Mark was a year old and raised him in Brooklyn, New York. Mark is currently married to Lisa Skeete Tatum and has two sons, Tai and Kylan.
Looking at the overall family tree of Jayson Tatum and Mark Tatum, no familial connection can be found.
Additional Information
- Jayson Tatum has a 6-year-old son named Jayson Chroistopher Tatum Jr., nicknamed Deuce, with his ex-girlfriend Toriah Lachell.
- Boston Celtics signed Jayson in the NBA Draft as the third overall pick in 2017.
- Mark Tatum has been a Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of the NBA since February 1, 2014.
