Russell Westbrook's St. Louis impact
Jayson Tatum grew up in St. Louis idolizing Russell Westbrook — the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard who wore #0 for OKC from 2008-19. Westbrook’s combination of explosive athleticism, attacking style, and emotional intensity matched what Tatum wanted to be as a player. Tatum has said in multiple interviews he chose #0 specifically because of Westbrook.
Tatum first wore #0 at Chaminade College Preparatory School (suburban St. Louis) starting his junior year (2014-15). He kept the number at Duke as a freshman (2016-17), and made it his permanent NBA number when the Celtics drafted him 3rd overall in 2017. The Celtics had #0 available — Avery Bradley had vacated it after his 2017 trade to the Detroit Pistons.
Tatum's #0 in Boston
Jayson Tatum has now worn #0 for 8 NBA seasons (2017-25). His career highlights wearing #0: 2024 NBA Champion, 6× NBA All-Star, 4× All-NBA First Team, the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals MVP, and the all-time Celtics leader in playoff scoring (he passed John Havlicek in May 2024 during the Celtics’ championship run).
Tatum and Westbrook met formally for the first time in October 2018 — Westbrook wore #0 for the Thunder against Tatum’s #0 for the Celtics. Westbrook reportedly sought Tatum out post-game and said he was honored to be the inspiration. The two have remained in regular contact since.
Other notable #0s in basketball history
Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers/Bucks) wears #0 — his explanation is similar (he chose it because no one else wore it). Russell Westbrook himself wore #0 from 2008-19 with OKC, then switched to #0 again with the Wizards/Lakers/Clippers/Nuggets. Gilbert Arenas pioneered the modern #0 with the Wizards (2003-10) — chose it because pundits had called him ‘Agent Zero’ for being underrated.
Older #0s: Robert Parish (Celtics, 1980-94) wore #0 — and is now in the Hall of Fame. Tatum is one of the very few players ever to wear the same number as a Celtics retired-jersey legend (Parish’s #0 hangs in the rafters; Tatum has explicit permission from Parish to keep wearing it). The Celtics have retired 23 numbers — leaving very few options for active players, which makes Tatum’s situation specifically negotiated.
More in The Stories Behind Iconic Jersey Numbers
Wayne Gretzky 99: The Story Behind the Number Why Aaron Judge Wears #99 — A Spring-Training Default Why Allen Iverson Wore #3 — Bethel High Roots Why Derek Jeter Wore #2 — A Yankees Last Single-DigitBackground facts cross-referenced with the Wikipedia article on Jayson Tatum and Pro-Football-Reference / Basketball-Reference public records.