NBA
Jayson Tatum recalls smashing Michael Jordan’s wine glass at dinner
Joe Lyons is a sports writer and basketball expert for Basketball Insiders. Joe has a keen eye for the betting markets within the NBA and a great passion for the game of basketball. also been published by Nottingham Forest FC, working with the academy and senior teams to produce content on matchdays. He formerly covered the Premier League and EFL as an on-site reporter during the 2020/21 season for Prost International. He is an expert in a range of other sports including soccer, horse racing darts and American football. Joe specialises in long form SEO content alongside news, tips and betting.
All posts by Joe LyonsUpdated21 Sep 2022
Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum has recalled meeting Michael Jordan for the first time in Paris when he accidentally broke the five-time MVP’s wine glass.
Tatum, 24, was flown out to Paris in 2019 alongside the likes of Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony after signing with Jordan Brand following a breakout rookie season as the Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
Michael Jordan announces the signing of @jaytatum0 to @Jumpman23 in Paris. 👀 pic.twitter.com/RMCI0Vj8HF
— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) June 21, 2019
In a YouTube interview with All The Smoke, Tatum confirms that he lived every basketball fan’s worst nightmare.
“I have a funny story. We were in Paris, and I had met MJ earlier in the morning. It was my debut at Jordan Brand, and I did a bit of media outreach. That evening, we had dinner planned. There was Melo, Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook, Spike Lee – basically, everyone.
“I remember walking towards the table, and I was super nervous. MJ was seated, his wife was next to him, and Spike Lee next to her. I arrive, and I tell myself that it’s good to go say hi before I sit down. I had spoken to him earlier in the day, we had a real conversation, so I figured I knew him and that was going to do it.
“The problem is that I get to his level and my hand starts to sweat! I said something like, ‘Are you okay Mike?’. I made the gesture to shake his hand, and in doing so I spilled his wine glass on the table, and his glass broke. I was panicked, ‘Oh no, let me get a towel, let me help you!’. He replied: ‘Don’t worry kid, no problem, don’t panic’. In my head I was like, ‘Wow, this is crazy’.”
