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Jayson Tatum Opens Up About Challenges With Team USA at 2024 Olympics Following Limited Role: ‘Doesn’t Work Out’
Jayson Tatum reflects on the difficulties he faced with Team USA during the 2024 Olympics, discussing his limited role and its impact on his game. Read more.
Jayson Tatum had an outstanding 2024, capturing both an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics and an Olympic gold medal with Team USA. This achievement places him in elite company alongside players like Michael Jordan and LeBron James, who have also secured both honors in the same year. Now a two-time Olympic gold medalist, having previously won in Tokyo, Tatum expressed his excitement about these successes while gearing up for the next NBA season.
However, Tatum's 2024 NBA Championship win didn’t bolster his role with Team USA at the Paris Olympics, where he was often a bench player and missed several games. In an interview with the Boston Globe, Tatum opened up about the challenges he faced, including public criticism for his limited role.
“It’s tough to hear people doubting you on TV or seeing what they say on Twitter, especially knowing how much you sacrifice and work on your craft. You always want to be the best and perform well every night, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen that way.”
At the Olympics, Tatum averaged just 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, receiving no minutes in two key wins over Serbia. His reduced playing time was largely due to LeBron James and Kevin Durant taking most of the minutes at forward, but Tatum also struggled with inefficient scoring during the tournament.
Looking ahead, Tatum can use this challenging summer as motivation for the 2024-25 NBA season, which begins with the Celtics playing the 2023 NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, in Abu Dhabi for the preseason opener. Training camp is expected to begin within the next week, with games scheduled for October 2 and 4 against the Nuggets.
Jayson Tatum has openly discussed his Olympic challenges, particularly his difficulty adjusting to the unpredictable style of play required to succeed with Team USA. He experienced similar struggles during the 2020 Olympics, though he managed to contribute more significantly.
"I wasn’t sulking or upset. I didn’t have an attitude or anger toward the world. I stayed prepared, did what was asked of me, and ended up winning a gold medal. Sure, I didn’t hit a jump shot with Team USA, but it's just the law of averages. The rhythm is odd when playing for Team USA because you never know when you’ll get the ball. But that’s part of the deal, and I’ve done it before at the Tokyo Games."
Tatum also noted that the Olympics were a difficult personal experience for him on the court.
"It was tough for me personally, but I’m not making decisions based on emotions. If you asked me now if I’d play in 2028, I’d need time to think about it. It's still four years away, so I won’t decide based on how this experience felt."
With LeBron James announcing his retirement from the national team and Kevin Durant likely stepping back by 2028, Tatum could become Team USA's top wing option, depending on how young talents like Cooper Flagg develop in the coming years.
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