Jayson Tatum cites tough love from his parents, Justin Tatum and Brandy Cole-Barnes, as the reason for his success as an athlete today.

Justin and Brandy welcomed Jayson on March 3, 1998, in St. Louis, when they were both in college. Though Justin and Brandy never lived together and eventually split, growing up, the Boston Celtics star spent time at his parents’ respective schools. He’d attend classes with his mom at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and he’d find himself in the locker room with his dad while he played basketball at Saint Louis University.

Jayson is a self-proclaimed “mama’s boy,” telling ESPN in November 2016 that Brandy is his “best friend.” He added, “I’m the biggest mama’s boy ever, and I’m proud to say it.”

The NBA star’s relationship with his father was slightly more complicated growing up. Primarily raised by his mother, he never lived with his father, who moved back to the U.S. from Europe after playing basketball professionally in the Netherlands when Jayson was 8. Despite being on the receiving end of tough criticism and coaching techniques from his father, Jayson credits his dad for helping push him further in his career.

“He saw the potential in me before I saw it in myself, so having him be that tough on me in basketball really you know, made me tougher on and off the court,” Jayson told KSDK.

Here is everything to know about Jayson Tatum’s parents, Justin Tatum and Brandy Cole-Barnes.

When Brandy graduated from high school at University City High, she was prepared to head off to the University of Tennessee with a full athletic scholarship after a four-year stint on the varsity volleyball team, as WCVB reported. She was also one of the top five students in her graduating class and the senior class president.

She learned she was pregnant with Jayson just weeks after she graduated from high school, according to ESPN. Rather than going away for school, she decided to go to college locally in St. Louis to earn a degree in political science and communications, working part-time jobs on the side to help pay for school and daycare.

“It was really tough, but it was what I felt like I had to do for both of us,” she told the outlet.

During her undergraduate years, Brandy would bring Jayson with her to class, a tradition she kept up throughout her higher education, including business school and law school. Jayson reflected on his time spent in classes with his mom in an essay he penned for The Players’ Tribune in April 2016. He wrote, “I remember sitting in the back of her classes, eating snacks or immersing myself in books or video games.”

“I kept quiet, listening in here and there — to me, most of her professors seemed boring and talked a lot,” he continued. “But I had my things to focus on, she had hers. It felt normal. So that’s what we did. When my mom couldn’t afford a babysitter and Grandma was working, we’d go to class together.”

At this time, Justin was attending Saint Louis University and playing basketball for the university. Jayson would get to spend time with his dad in the locker room and on the court, experiencing the pre-game speeches firsthand. However, he was mainly raised by his mom in his early years.

When he announced his partnership with SoFi in February 2024 to donate $1 million to help create “family-sustaining wealth,” Jayson told PEOPLE that the program would help people become homeowners, which he said would have been “life-changing” for him and his mom.

“I’m blessed to be in a position to help others from St. Louis, especially single-parent households like the one my mom raised me in,” he said.

Jayson followed in his dad’s footsteps when it came to being a star in the NBA. Justin played basketball at Christian Brothers College high school with his son’s future godfather, former NBA star Larry Hughes. He went on to play basketball at Saint Louis University in college, where he balanced fatherhood and his burgeoning athletic career.

After he graduated from college, Justin went on to play basketball professionally in the Netherlands for three years, where Brandy would travel with Jayson so he could visit his father. Justin told Ladue News that it was “tough” being in the Netherlands for 10 months out of the year and away from his son. In his spare time while overseas, he’d help coach youth teams, a skillset he carried with him back to the U.S. as he transitioned into being a coach rather than a player.

After his professional career came to a close, he went on to become the assistant basketball coach at his alma mater, Christian Brothers College, for the 2006-2007, season before accepting a position at Soldan International Studies High School. Justin eventually returned to his alma mater as head coach, where he has been for over 10 consecutive seasons, according to his website. He has also hosted youth camps for over a decade to give kids a chance to learn basketball and forge new friendships.