The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 to win the 2024 NBA Finals, but it was Jayson Tatum’s rumored girlfriend, singer Ella Mai, and her baby bump that took center stage.
On June 17, the Celtics power forward saved arguably his best performance for what turned out to be the deciding game of the series, finishing Game 5 with 31 points. Tatum, who was drafted third overall to Boston in 2017, celebrated his first championship win, which could be seen in viral videos that have now taken over the internet.
Another video that has taken social media by storm is a clip of R&B singer Ella Mai waiting in the arena hallway for Tatum following his win.
In the footage, the singer is seen wearing a number “0” Boston jersey and waving at the NBA star. As she turned toward Tatum to hug him, many social media users spotted a very noticeable baby bump and began speculating that the British music star could be expecting her first child.
The video, which has garnered over 1.7 million views in the first few hours, was posted to X by a fan who also wrote, “So Ella Mai IS pregnant. What a W year Tatum.”
“Winning on and off the court we see. Congratulations,” someone else said.
“Ella Mai is pregnant. That baby gonna be bright as a light bulb,” a fan joked.
As the congratulations poured in, there were still many fans who had no idea that the “Boo’d Up” singer was dating the five-time NBA All Star.
People magazine reports the two have been linked since at least 2020, after the singer seemingly took to Instagram to shoot her shot at the NBA star in 2019. Although neither has ever publicly disclosed their relationship, Tatum and Mai have been seen together several times over the years.
In 2022, Tatum and the four-time Grammy nominee joined Michael Rubin for his annual Fourth of July party. In September 2023, the rumored couple were spotted side by side again at the wedding of Memphis Grizzlies player Marcus Smart. Then, in November 2023, Tatum helped the R&B songstress celebrate her 29th birthday in New York.
When asked about her love life, during a sit-down with “The Breakfast Club” in 2022, Ella Mai danced around her and Tatum’s romance.
“There’s rumors that you’re a Boston Celtics fan,” co-host DJ Envy suggested.
“Oh really? … I’m a basketball fan definitely, but you know I’m not one to talk about my dating life,” the “Boo’d Up” singer responded.
Despite remaining mum about her romantic involvement with Tatum, comedian Michael Blackson seemingly blew the lid off their secret after revealing on “The Breakfast Club” that he was trying to shoot his shot at the singer before the NBA player told him she was taken.
While attending Mike Rubin’s 2022 Fourth of July party in the Hamptons, Blackson said that he spotted a beautiful Black woman who looked like a normal person — not the overly thin celebrity type. He approached her and struck up a conversation.
“All of a sudden, I get tapped on the shoulder,” he recalls. “I said, ‘You good?’ and he says, ‘Yeah, I’m good because I am with her.'”
Consistent with how she’s navigated conversations about their relationship, Ella Mai has not confirmed her pregnancy. However, rumors that she is with child have been circulating online for months.
In April, a fan took to X to share with the world that his father saw Ella Mai and Jayson Tatum at a baby shower and the singer appeared pregnant. Screenshots of the tweets were posted to the @wagsunfiltered3.0 Instagram page.
“Bro my dad saw Jayson Tatum at a baby shower bruh. I guess that mf has another kid,” the fan wrote. “My dad said that he had a baby with some famous singer. Probably Ella Mai can’t think of another person. He also said they were feasting on fried chicken.”
Now, upon the Celtics taking home the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, videos and photos circulate showing that Ella Mai’s pregnancy is more apparent.
This will be the first child for the 29-year-old and Tatum’s second. Tatum’s son, Jayson Christopher Tatum Jr., a.k.a. “Deuce,” frequently helps his dad warm up on the basketball court before Celtics games and was present to see his father win his first championship ring.
Tutum was barely 19 years old and a student at Duke when he first learned that he would become a father.
“I wasn’t ecstatic,” Tatum told the Adirondack Daily. “I was a little selfish at that point because I knew that I was about to go chase my dream and be in the NBA. I felt like that was going to affect what people thought of me, affect where I went in the draft.”
He added, “I’d be the first to say I wasn’t super-thrilled to find out I was going to be a dad, and quickly realized that it was the best thing that ever could have happened to me. There’s nothing better than being a dad. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.”
According to Tatum, having a son taught him a sense of responsibility, which has been beneficial for him as he navigates his pro basketball career.
“And I think — not that I think, I know — that having Deuce at that age grounded me. Because whatever decision I wanted to make, I had to make sure that he was taken care of. I couldn’t just up and go or do everything that some of my peers were doing because I had to go home and put him to bed,” he stated.
Though Tatum wasn’t named NBA Finals MVP, he’s widely considered the best overall talent on the Celtics roster. The Boston Celtics have now won an NBA-record 18 NBA championships after previously being tied at 17 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
