“It didn’t seem real,” said the Boston Celtics power forward, a five-time NBA All-Star who will represent the Eastern Conference in this year’s All-Star Game on Sunday.
Tatum told The Associated Press in an interview that he wants to assist others in his hometown of St. Louis experience that sensation and purchase their own homes. He stated that financial services company SoFi has donated $1 million to the Jayson Tatum Foundation to help with this effort.
The gift announced on Tuesday will establish the SoFi Generational Wealth Fund at the foundation, which will give monies to help homebuyers with a down payment.
“I can’t stress enough how excited I am just knowing how many lives and the families that we can impact,” Tatum was quoted as saying. “And I can only imagine how much this would have impacted myself and my mom growing up.”
Tatum, 25, is raised by his mother, Brandy Cole-Barnes, who was 19 when he was born.
“My mother and I were unaware of investments or savings accounts when we were growing up. But, of course, once I got to the NBA and started making money, we had to ask questions and learn new things,” Tatum added. “It was always essential to me, even when I was young. I just knew I wanted to give back and assist people who looked and grew up like me.”
Tatum’s foundation, founded in 2017, the same year he was picked by the Celtics, organizes toy drives, back-to-school giveaways, and basketball camps in St. Louis. In addition to mentoring, it provides scholarships to St. Louis high school students. The new fund is part of a scheme that will help single parents.
