ST. LOUIS – Many filled the auditorium at Chaminade to honor a special part of their community Friday morning.
St. Louis native, Jayson Tatum, returned to his old stomping grounds to the surprise of his jersey being retired.
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Tatum wore No. 22 during his time at Chaminade.
“We are proud of you, buddy.” Rev. Ralph said during the presentation.
Tatum’s former teammates congratulated him in a special video message.
“In order for you to get your jersey retired, there’s more to the picture, you know? You’re not just an athlete, here at Chaminade – we try and do our best to make sure we educate the entire person,“ Coach Bennet said. “No one’s going to rock No. 22 ever again.”
20-year-old Tatum thanked his family, friends and everyone at Chaminade.
“The thing I remember most about being here – I was treated as a normal person. The teachers, the staff – from the top to the bottom. Everyone cared about me as a person and that’s something I’m forever thankful for. Because it’s not always like that, you didn’t look at me just as a basketball player, you know you cared about Jayson as a person, so I will always be appreciative for the time I spent here,” Tatum said.
“I will always say – my greatest basketball accomplishment is winning the state championship [2016.] It took us four years,” Tatum said.
Tatum recorded over 2000 points and over 1000 rebounds for Chaminade. He graduated from Chaminade in 2016. He went on to play for Duke and was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2017.
Bradley Beal, who plays for the Washington Wizards, also attended Chaminade. Beal graduated from Chaminade in 2011 and his jersey was retired in 2013.
