Jayson Tatum Talks About His Upbringing in a “Single-Parent Home”
A $1 million commitment to “promote financial literacy and create family-sustaining wealth” was made public earlier this month by the NBA player and the bank under the SoFi Generational Wealth Fund.
The 25-year-old star of the Boston Celtics tells PEOPLE that he is appreciative of the opportunity to support other families in his birthplace of St. Louis, Missouri, whether or not they are single parents, as he announces his collaboration with SoFi, the NBA’s official new banking partner.
I’m blessed to be in a position to help others from St. Louis, especially single-parent households like the one my mom raised me in,” says Tatum, who adds that his “ideas and values” around financial education “are aligned” with SoFi’s.
Earlier this month, Tatum and the bank announced the SoFi Generational Wealth Fund, a $1 million donation from SoFi to “promote financial literacy and create family-sustaining wealth,” according to a press release.
The Fund will further the NBA star’s S.M.A.R.T Project, an effort that assists single parents as they navigate parenthood, education and financial wellness through the Jayson Tatum Foundation. Specifically, the initiative will help to expand opportunities for homeownership for participating families.
“We’re distributing $1 million towards the first key component of creating generational wealth—becoming a homeowner,” Tatum says to PEOPLE about the SoFi Generational Wealth Fund. For my mother and me, that could have been a game-changer.”
“I’m proud to offer that with SoFi through my Foundation,” he continues.
The National Basketball Association and SoFi jointly announced earlier this month a multi-year agreement that designates SoFi as the official banking partner of USA Basketball, the NBA G League, the NBA 2K League, and the NBA.
During a live taping of Kenny Beecham’s podcast at Tinker House in Indianapolis during NBA All-Star Weekend, Tatum said that he and his mother “grew up living check to check” and “didn’t understand the idea of saving money.”
Tatum told Beecham that he wants to “make an impact” and “help people that came from the same environment as me” now that he’s in a place where he “can take care of” himself financially.
