Saint Louis, Missouri may not be a big city, but the love its people have for it is absolutely massive, and Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum is by no means an exception to this rule.
So after beloved St. Louis Cardinals icon Lou Brock passed this weekend, Tatum decided to write “R.I.P. Lou Brock” on his Air Jordans in memory of the hometown hero.
“Obviously, everybody knows he played with the St. Louis Cardinals — one of the best players ever, and he ended up being one of the best players to play for the Cardinals,” replied Tatum after being asked about the dedication.
For tonight’s game…STL’s very own Jayson Tatum wore the Cardinals Jordan 34 that he designed, so he fittingly wrote:
“RIP Lou Brock”He talked about the impact he had on the city & what he meant to baseball fans everywhere ♥️ pic.twitter.com/SuIGtRVpDX
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) September 8, 2020
Brock played outfield for the Chicago Cubs and Cardinals between 1961 and 1979, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985, mainly for his skill stealing bases, having broken both Ty Cobb’s all-time career steals and Maury Wills’ single-season record.
“[It’s] funny too; I never got to see him play, but I know what he means to that organization and the city of St. Louis. I had the Cardinal Jordan 34 … on today, and unfortunately he passed away yesterday. So, I just wanted to shed some light on that to all the people back home.”
While Tatum is, as he acknowledged, far too young to recall Brock while he was still playing, the Missourian is steeped in the culture of his native city, and undoubtedly grew up hearing his praises as a local.
And if there’s anything the Duke product does as well as play basketball, it’s paying respect to his fellow St. Louisans.
