It’s no secret that Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum wasn’t always a big admirer of the city. While his argument was primarily centered on basketball and his admiration for Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his original disdain was for another sport as well.

Tatum confessed to former NBA players Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala on the time Forward podcast that the New England Patriots turned him against Boston at one time.

“I didn’t realize how special of a place Boston was until I moved here,” Jayson Tatum said. “I didn’t care for Boston. I believe their victory over the [St. Louis] Rams was the catalyst for the Rams’ departure.”

To properly grasp Tatum’s logic, go back to 2002, when the underdog New England Patriots faced the St. Louis Rams in what was then dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf.” The Patriots, led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, defeated the Rams 20-17 to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history. This stunning victory launched a New England dynasty, although the Rams only made the playoffs twice more in the next 14 seasons until departing Missouri in 2015.

Tatum was only a toddler during Super Bowl 36, but he was born in St. Louis and grew up to despise the Patriots for destroying one of his city’s biggest sports clubs.

While he stays loyal to “The Lou,” the 25-year-old has embraced Boston throughout his time with the Celtics.

“This is a special place,” he remarked. “They adore their sports teams, and they adore their men.” I feel like they’ve welcomed me, that they’ve accepted me as one of their boys.”

In 2023, the Rams are in Los Angeles, the Patriots are last in the AFC, and Jayson Tatum’s Celtics are first in the Eastern Conference. If the four-time All-Star wants to properly establish himself as a Boston legend, winning the Celtics’ first title in almost 15 years could be enough.