The Celtics had drafted another wing, Jaylen Brown, with the No. 3 overall the year before.

“And then, I get drafted, and Gordon Hayward signed with the Celtics,” Tatum said. “I called my agent like, ‘Yo, I gotta get traded.’ I’m in Summer League before I ever play a game like ‘yo.’ He’s like “relax. Just wait. He basically says “you need to relax”.

“Yo, I’m trying to play,” Tatum added. “I wasn’t drafted to come off the bench and not start. He said, “You’re in a great organization, they’re going to teach you how to play the game right.”

Eight years later, Tatum won his first championship with the Celtics. He signed a five-year, $314 super-max contract extension that will keep him under contract through 2029, with a player option for the 2030 season.

Tatum said his time with the Celtics has been going well. He also reflected on his initial desire to play for the Lakers, who never brought him in for a pre-draft workout.

“For me, I grew up a Kobe fan,” Tatum said. “I always wanted to play for the Lakers. For them to have choice no. 2 and it wasn’t like there was even a thought that I would get drafted, that was kind of devastating, so I never worked out for the Lakers. They never came to see me train.”

The Lakers decided to take Lonzo Ball, who played at UCLA and nearby Chino Hills. With the Lakers’ minds made up, Tatum set his sights on the Phoenix Suns.

“I wanted to go to Phoenix. Phoenix had the fourth pick, Earl Watson was the coach. I went out there, I was looking at the houses, the weather was nice. They had a young team. I was like man, I’m going to play. Then I remember coach (Mike Krzyzewski) saying, ‘Boston wants to have you for a second practice, you should go.’

Tatum said an unnamed Celtics executive told him they probably didn’t pick him during a previous workout. They later decided to bring Tatum in for another workout. Krzyzewski helped convince Tatum to participate, saying Stevens was one of the best coaches in the league.

The Celtics finally changed choice no. 1 overall in Philadelphia. The 76ers took Markelle Fultz, the Lakers took Ball, and Boston used the No. 3 to take Tatum.

“The rest was history and it all worked out,” Tatum said.

Khari Thompson can be reached at [email protected].