Celtics' Jayson Tatum gives young cancer patient the game ball from his historic Game 7 performance vs. 76ers
Xavier Goncalves, 10, had the 'best day' of his life thanks to Tatum's kind gesture
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1 min read
After his historic 51-point performance in Sunday's 112-88 Game 7 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum received the game ball from team owner Wyc Grousbeck. But instead of keeping the ball to remember the night he powered his team to the Eastern Conference Finals, Tatum gave it to a young cancer patient who had the "best day" of his life.
Xavier Goncalves, 10, received the game ball from Tatum, who he met two months ago. Goncalves is battling rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancer that forms in soft tissue. The journey hasn't been easy, as he's had to undergo three surgeries to remove the tumor, 24 rounds of chemotherapy and also months of radiation treatments, as reported by Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.
“Man, you’re in the Garden with me. You can go anywhere you want. Come on.”
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) May 16, 2023
Jayson Tatum met a young cancer patient 2 months ago, and it was nice. But Tatum wanted it to turn into something more, and it has.
And that’s where his 51-point game ball went.https://t.co/gHwopyhlKh pic.twitter.com/Pie5vWA94L
Tatum, who has a 5-year old son, could relate to the feeling of parents wanting to keep their children safe. He also found inspiration in how Goncalves is handing his situation and the great courage he is showing at such a young age.
"I asked him, like, 'Do you get nervous?'" Tatum told the Boston Globe. "And he just said, 'Nah, because I know it's going to help me. I know I have to do this.' And his mom and everybody around him encourage him. I thought that was cool, because I'm like, '[Expletive], I get nervous before games going out in front of these people, and for you to be 10 years old and show that courage is impactful.'"
The ball Tatum gifted Goncalves is quite a special one, as it's from the game in which Tatum became the second player in NBA history to score 50 or more points in a Game 7.
