Shaquille O'Neal won their first of three NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. Watching Bryant's career from his home in St. Louis, Tatum grew up idolizing the basketball legend. Seventeen years after watching Bryant win his first championship, Tatum entered the NBA as a member of the Lakers rival, the Boston Celtics. However, Tatum's relationship with the Celtics didn't stop him from developing a relationship with the NBA legend. Bryant severed as a mentor for Tatum both on and off the court. The five-time NBA champion also analyzed Tatum's game as a part of the ESPN series, Detail. Tragically, the bond that Tatum and Bryant shared did not develop in all that it could be due to a horrific helicopter accident that killed Bryant, his second oldest daughter and several others in 2020.