BOSTON — Nowadays, NBA friendships are much different from what they were in previous decades. Back in the day, they were non-existent. If you weren’t on the same team, there was no relationship there. But with the AAU circuit and the community high-level basketball has created, players throughout the league are better friends than they ever have been. The Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic are a prime example with Jayson Tatum and Paolo Banchero.
Both Duke alumni and Jordan-brand athletes, Tatum and Banchero have a well-documented relationship. “He loves the game, works hard, and I know what it's like to come from Duke, be a top lottery pick, and have a lot of expectations,” Tatum said of Banchero in January of 2023 via Bobby Manning of Boston Sports Journal. “Anytime I can help, I feel like I'm obligated to do that.”
The two Duke stars are now set to go toe-to-toe in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. And with that, all friendships are suspended.
Jayson Tatum and Paolo Banchero are not friends in the playoffs
When asked about how playing a guy like Banchero, someone he has a close relationship with, in the playoffs changes the dynamic, Tatum made his thoughts clear. And old-school Celtics fans who long for the days of fist fights and cutthroat rivalries will love his response.
“Change the dynamic? No,” Tatum said. “And that's how it should be, right? He's trying to lead his team in a playoff series and figure out ways to win, and I'm trying to do the same thing. Just shifting your mindset to, you know, it's the playoffs. Now, just having an understanding of no friends out there, nothing else matters, doing everything that I can help my team win. It's not really time for anything else.”
Meanwhile, when posed with a similar question, Banchero’s thoughts were the same.
“I've known Jayson since I was going into college,” Banchero said via Brett James of Orlando Magic HQ. “I see him every summer. So, a guy that I’m very familiar with. One of the guys I go to for advice and stuff like that.
“But you know, obviously now we're competing, and I think the best way for me to show my respect is to give him my best effort and go at him as much as I can. So, I’m excited for the matchup.”
A few months from now, Tatum and Banchero will likely be in the gym together, working on their craft and continuing to build their friendship. But for the next two weeks, they are enemies. And they wouldn’t have it any other way.