It all started with a basketball hoop for LSU sophomore forward Tatum Neubert.
“I’m Michael and George, Daddy,” Tatum screamed to her dad, Keith Neubert, as she went up for a dunk on her 3-foot tall basketball goal, her tongue hanging out as she tried to impersonate Michael Jordan.
“She started dunking on it right away,” Keith remembered. “We were Lakers fans. Tatum would sit on my lap when she was little and watch nearly every Lakers game.”
One of the first presents the Colorado native remembers receiving is the 3-foot basketball goal.
Ever since then, basketball has just been Tatum’s “thing” she said. The 6-foot-2 forward played other sports like soccer and volleyball, and she even tried cheerleading. But basketball was her “first love.”
Tatum’s passion for basketball began with a gift, but her competitive drive and determination runs in the family.
Keith played basketball and football at Nebraska University, and later went on to the NFL to play for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles.
Her mom, Paula Neubert, played softball during her time at Nebraska.
Tatum’s younger siblings play sports, as well. Her brother plays football and her sister has taken up basketball.
“My little sister is definitely the most competitive out of all of us, which is so fun because she’s about 15,” Tatum said. “We even get competitive in the family playing card games and stuff like that, but it’s so much fun. We love that kind of atmosphere. We’re all competitive, and we’re all athletes, so it’s really fun for all of us to compete together.”
It’s even a competition when the family plays board and card games, Tatum and Keith agreed.
With all the athleticism rooted in the family, Tatum’s parents never pushed their children overboard to do sports.
“The only thing we asked of the kids is that they give their all,” Keith said. “If you’re going to play something or if you’re going to do anything in life, give it your all … It’s always been for the love of the game [for Tatum]. That’s all we ask of our kids [too], is that you love what you do.”
If anything, Tatum put pressure on herself to be great.
“My dad being the great athlete that he was and my mom too, I put some stress on myself I feel like, more than they ever did,” Tatum said.
Tatum signed to the Lady Tigers in May of 2015. She was redshirted that season because of NCAA transfer rules. When it was her time to play, Tatum suffered a knee injury during the summer of 2016 and missed the beginning of the 2016-17 season.
Tatum returned to the court in a home victory against Tulane, 69-51, on Dec. 11, 2016 and has since played in 14 games, averaging 3.2 points per game.
Tatum is always looking for ways to improve, she said.
“Definitely now when I have a question or a problem, I go to my parents — my dad especially,” Tatum said. “I’ll be like, ‘Hey, dad, what’d you think about this game? What can I do to improve?’ [I’m] getting stuff from my coaching staff, and I can also go to my parents and kind of ask, ‘What can I do to be better?’ That’s really cool having that support system with my family.”

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Jordan Marcell

LSU sophomore forward Tatum Neubert (44) goes through drills on Friday Nov. 18, 2016 in the basketball practice facility.