Jayson Tatum affirms that he gained insight from his regret not reaching out to this All-Star sooner…..

“I had so many questions I wanted to know the answers to. I should have called him more and it taught me a lesson.”

Friday marks four years since Lakers legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash along with eight others, including his daughter Gianna.

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who grew up idolizing Bryant, said during a recent interview with Andscape’s Marc Spears that he wished he talked to Bryant more before the superstar’s death.

“It is bittersweet. I can’t believe that he’s not here anymore,” Tatum told Spears. “And the thing that I regret is, I wish I would’ve called him more. I wish I would’ve texted him more. I just always thought he was so busy. I never wanted to bother him.”

“We knew each other. He told me to text him, call him anytime,” Tatum added. “But I was almost scared. I can only imagine all the things he has going on. I don’t want to bother him. And obviously after what happened, I wish I would’ve reached out more. I had so many questions I wanted to know the answers to. I should have called him more and it taught me a lesson.”

Tatum said Bryant’s death prompted him to reach out more to other players he looks up to, such as Lakers forward LeBron James.

“Now I don’t hold back with older guys in the league now, like ’Bron,” Tatum said. “’Bron is somebody that I text and call a lot, and it could be from basketball to how to take care of your body to business decisions off the court. People are willing to give you answers, you just have to ask.”

James and Tatum will both play in the NBA’s All-Star Game in Indianapolis next month.

This week, Tatum was selected as an All-Star for the fifth time. He will start the game for the Eastern Conference, along with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Indiana’s Tyrese Halibuton, and Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey.

Tatum is averaging 27 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. The Celtics have the best record in the NBA at 35-10.

“It is the most talented team I’ve been on by far,” Tatum said. “It’s the most selfless team. And not to say that other teams I have been on weren’t as talented or were selfish, but just the talent level that we have one through five and where we’re at in our career.”

“We got Jrue [Holiday], who’s been a champion before,” Tatum continued. “We got guys that’s made All-Star games, JB [Jaylen Brown] made All-NBA. I’ve been All-NBA first team a couple years in a row, guys have gotten paid and we are all just really just doing whatever it takes on a nightly basis to win.”

Tatum said the biggest thing he took away from his time with Bryant was his mindset. Bryant would ask him how much he’s willing to sacrifice to become a champion.

Bryant retired with five championships. Tatum is still chasing his first. The Celtics star said finally capturing one would “mean everything” to him.

“This is my seventh year in the league and four conference finals and one Finals appearance, like you said,” Tatum said. “That’s the thing. That’s the only thing I really haven’t done and being so close and knowing how hard it is to get to that point and not getting over that hump. So, it is overdue. It is long overdue, but I got a good feeling about it.”