Kara Lawson, speaking about Jayson Tatum, emphasizes his consistent work ethic based on her year coaching him in Boston. She recounts his early game-winner against the Knicks (hit with 1.3 seconds remaining) and a later poor shooting night against the Mavericks (2-for-18), noting that Tatum still practiced alone late at night regardless of results. Lawson frames consistency of daily work as the key reason for his trajectory toward becoming a top player.
Questions this video answers
One year.
1.3 seconds.
2 for 18.
When I was in Boston for a year, I just coached JT for one year, so I don't know that I helped him very much. But.
One of the things that stuck out to me about him is his work was always very consistent. So I remember. Do you remember your first game winner.
Against the Knicks at home?
Yeah. So we're playing the Knicks at home, and we. There's not much time left. I don't know. It might have been. It was under 10 for sure. It might have been under five.
It was like three, four.
Yeah.
Tatum is the go against Barrett. Three seconds, the three. Got it. Jason Tatum with 1.3 to go.
It didn't change what he did every day. Like, he worked. You might remember this game, too. It was like two or three weeks after that. We're playing the Mavericks MM at home. He goes 1 for 18, 2 for 18, 2 for 18.
He goes 2 for 18. And we won still. We still won the game. But, you know, it was one of his worst nights. And when I was there after the games, I would go back to the office and work because I didn't want to go to my house because I was ready. I was going to fall asleep before I got the tape done. So I'm back in the office by myself. Nobody's in there. And I hear the ball bouncing. My office didn't overlook the court, but I hear the ball bouncing, and I'm like. It's like one in the morning. You know who is over there bouncing the ball? I go around the corner, I look down, he's down there shooting. Because the work's consistent. It doesn't matter if you hit a game winner or you go 2 for 18, right? Stays the same. So there's no secret as to why he's on the path that he's on, that he's on the trajectory, that he's on his way to being the best player in the world. Because he always works, regardless of result, regardless of outcome, regardless of how hard, how well he plays, how well he doesn't play, it stays the same. And so if you take one thing about how to get where he is at his level, that's it. That's the secret, is be consistent with what you do.
