The Celtics star expressed disappointment with his lackluster role for Team USA in the last Summer Games.
Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum gets brutally honest about his inactivity for Team USA throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In The Pivot Podcast, the All-NBA forward admitted that it was challenging to embrace the entire process of spending the tournament on the sidelines as the United States went on to clinch the Olympic gold.
“To be honest, that was tough because this is my second time in the Olympics, and you know, we went in 2021, we were in Tokyo, and my experience was totally different," he said. "I was the second leading scorer behind KD, and we beat France; we ended up winning a gold medal. So, you know, in 2024, I was first-team All-NBA. Came off a championship. I was on the cover of 2K. Like, I was on top of the world. I just signed the largest contract in NBA history.
"So, I was riding this cloud. And then I get to the Olympics, and it didn’t go how I wanted it.”
Fresh from winning his first NBA championship with the Celtics and inking a record-breaking five-year, $314 million extension, Tatum truly had high hopes that he would be able to cap off his spectacular year with a meaningful contribution to the United States' run.
Instead, he was buried on the rotation and didn't gain much exposure from Steve Kerr.
Tatum only played in four games. He logged 17.7 minutes and averaged 5.3 points in 38.1 percent shooting. As he found himself cheering off the bench for most of the time, many have mocked and ridiculed him for not playing much with the United States.
In the end, Tatum is humbled enough to admit that he needs to buy in and avoid being a distraction to his teammates.
"My mom did such a good job of raising me that I always keep it cool," he said. "I’m not going to rock the boat. I’m always going to be a professional, show up, and do my part because we’re here to win a gold medal. If we come up short, all this was for nothing, so I still kept my composure.
"Even if I disagreed with the coach or kept my distance, I had the wherewithal to do what I could with the time I was given, and we still found a way to win."
Although he didn't appear that much two years ago, Tatum is still expected to lead the new era of USA Basketball as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics loom
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