Jayson Tatum attributes his current level of athletic success to his parents, Justin Tatum and Brandy Cole-Barnes, giving him tough love.

When they were both in college, on March 3, 1998, in St. Louis, Justin and Brandy welcomed Jayson into the world. Even though Justin and Brandy never shared a home and subsequently divorced, the Boston Celtics player attended his parents’ separate schools during his formative years. He would go to University of Missouri–St. Louis classes with his mother, and he would occasionally run into his father in the Saint Louis University basketball locker room.

Self-described as a “mama’s boy,” Jayson told ESPN in November 2016 that Brandy is his “best friend.” “I’m the biggest mama’s boy ever, and I’m proud to say that,” he continued.

Growing up, the NBA player’s connection with his father was a little more nuanced. He was raised mostly by his mother and never spent any time with his father, who returned to the United States from Europe when Jayson was eight years old, having played professional basketball in the Netherlands. Even though his father gave him harsh criticism and used coaching methods, Jayson still feels that his father helped him advance in his job.

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

After four years on the University City High varsity volleyball team, Brandy was ready to go to the University of Tennessee on a full athletic scholarship when she graduated from high school, according to WCVB. In addition, she was the president of her senior class and one of the top five students in her graduating class.

Only a few weeks after graduating from high school, she found out she was expecting Jayson, per ESPN. She chose to attend a local college in St. Louis to obtain a degree in political science and communications rather than traveling abroad, and she worked part-time jobs on the side to help pay for daycare and education.

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

Brandy would always bring Jayson to class when she was a student, and she continued this practice throughout her time in law school and business school. In an April 2016 column for The Players’ Tribune, Jayson thought back on his time in school with his mother. “I remember eating snacks or immersing myself in books or video games while sitting in the back of her classes,” he wrote.

He went on, “I remained silent, listening in here and there; most of her professors seemed dull and talked a lot to me.” But while she had her priorities, I had mine. It felt typical. That’s what we actually did. Grandma worked and my mom couldn’t afford a babysitter, so we would go to class together.

Justin was a student at Saint Louis University and the team’s basketball player at the time. Jayson would have the opportunity to spend time with his father in the locker room and on the floor, where he would be present for the pre-game statements. But in his early years, his mother raised him primarily.

When it came to becoming a star in the NBA, Jayson did as his father did. Larry Hughes, a former NBA player, was a basketball player for Justin’s future godfather while they were both students at Christian Brothers College. He continued to play basketball in college, juggling his budding athletic career with becoming a father at Saint Louis University.

Following his college graduation, Justin played basketball professionally for three years in the Netherlands. During this time, Brandy would accompany Jayson on his trips to see his father. It was “tough,” according to Justin, to spend ten months of the year apart from his son in the Netherlands, as he told Ladue News. He helped coach youth teams in his free time while serving abroad, a skill he brought back to the United States when he decided to become a coach instead of a player.

Following the conclusion of his professional career, he accepted a job at Soldan International Studies High School and spent the 2006–2007 season as the assistant basketball coach at Christian Brothers College, his alma school. According to his website, Justin finally went back to his alma mater to take on the role of head coach, a position he has held for more than ten seasons. In order to help kids learn basketball and make new friends, he has also been hosting youth camps for more than ten years.