Coach Ambassador Jayson Tatum Says His Style Is ‘Forever Changing’ but Always Ties Back to St. Louis Roots (Exclusive)

Jayson Tatum is an MVP on the basketball court and now the fashion world's newest all-star. 

The Boston Celtics forward and dad, 26, has paved his own path in the sports industry (in 2022 he was voted NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player) and he's taking a leap in his style journey as Coach’s newest ambassador. 

“It means a lot to be able to join the brand in such an organic and authentic way,” Tatum tells PEOPLE exclusively of his gig, which involves the athlete looking suave in Coach’s spring 2024 accessories in a debut campaign. “It’s been a lot of fun.” 

You could say Tatum was on cloud nine on set (really, you should see the dreamy photos), while he modeled the sleek Jackson Watch and the cool Gradient square-frame sunglasses, which, in particular, have earned bonus points in Tatum’s wardrobe for being "super dope.” 

They’re also super versatile and Tatum says he loves that the eyewear can be dressed up or down. It also helps that the design easily pairs well with his everyday style. His motto: dress to impress without sacrificing comfort.

“Being 6’9" with big shoulders and a small waist, being comfortable is the most important thing,” he tells PEOPLE. “Being able to feel brave in whatever you’re wearing and not just whatever looks nice [is key]. We do so much traveling, we fly on a plane after games, so it’s always important to me that whatever I wear feels good and lets me be myself.” 

Tatum describes his fashion sense as “forever changing," but instead of experimenting with trends, he’s happy staying in his own lane. He's still learning about his taste, but he always finds inspiration in his hometown of St. Louis (and also looks to St. Louis icons like Nelly for inspo!).

Joining the Coach family was the perfect opportunity for Tatum to showcase himself through fashion in a way we haven’t seen him do yet. He tells PEOPLE that the brand, whose newest campaign is rooted in a Courage to Be Real mission encouraging confidence and self-expression, “really embraced” him and made the partnership "seamless."

In addition to this campaign, fans can expect to see Tatum decked out in Coach during his tunnel walks on game-day. 

“The tunnel walk has become this almost iconic thing that players look forward to,” Tatum tells PEOPLE on how the NBA’s business-forward dress code has influenced court dressing. “I think it’s great for fashion, it’s great to see these ball players take ownership and really express themselves in different ways. Everybody's style is different and unique.”

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As he embarks on this new chapter with Coach, Tatum hopes to spread a positive message that he's found uplifting throughout his career. “The courage to be real is so important because in this industry, there’s so many ways you could lose yourself. Staying true to your roots, being organic and being yourself is so important.” 

And, just like how his goal is to empower St. Louis youth to pursue their dreams through his foundation, Tatum wants to remind everyone that staying genuine and pursuing what you love will take you far.