Tatum recalls crying as an 11-year-old because he didn't get LeBron's autograph: "He ain't tell me no, but he kinda told me no"

Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum grew up idolizing the late great Kobe Bean Bryant. However, when he was 11 years old, the man on top of the NBA mountain was LeBron James . So when an opportunity to meet King James came, a young JT was as excited.

But excitement turned to disappointment as Jayson didn't get a chance to get a picture with an autograph from the Cleveland Cavaliers star because James was in a rush to leave the arena—that 'rejection' left Tatum in tears.

"He ain't tell me no, but he kinda told me no," Tatum recalled the incident while signing basketballs for Team USA recently.

Tatum's father and Hughes were buddies

Jayson's dad, Justin, and former NBA player Larry Hughes used to be teammates at Christian Brothers College HS in St. Louis, Missouri and became close friends. Hughes played 14 years in the NBA and had a stint with LeBron's Cavaliers from 2005-08.

During one of the Cavs' road games in Memphis, Tatum's mom, Brandy Cole, took him to the Cavs-Grizzlies game, hoping Uncle Larry would help him meet King James after the game. Unfortunately, too many people were waiting for LeBron, and he didn't have enough time to accommodate everybody.

"There was a lot of people back there, and he was like, 'I'm out. I gotta go.' And I got in the car and started crying. But we cool now," added Jayson.

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JT and Bron laugh about the incident

A reporter brought up the incident to James during a Team USA shootaround. Naturally, LeBron did not recall denying young Jayson an autograph. LBJ did, however, remember the Duke product dunking on him during the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals.

"That's why you dunked on me, though? That's why you dunked on me in the Conference Finals?" LeBron jokingly asked the Celtics star, who was starting to break into laughter. "And by the way, that's when you had that haircut. That's the last time you had that haircut when you punched on me."

It is impressive that LeBron remembered Tatum sporting the same fresh haircut six years ago. But even more impressive is that the 11-year-old who cried because he didn't get James' autograph is now his teammate in Team USA.

Related: “I kinda blacked out” - Jayson Tatum recalled trying to dunk on LeBron as a rookie