For Jayson Tatum, some things never change. As his career continues to rise and fall, one constant remains: Tatum finds himself at the center of the conversation.
He burst onto the NBA scene as an impressive 19-year-old role player but vacillated between auspiciousness and over-hype in the public eye. Leading the Boston Celtics to a title in June gave him a pass to the championship, the final word that ended any doubts about his stardom.
But just weeks later, the conversation began again. This time, the tenor was different. As a member of Team USA, Tatum (along with Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton) did not come off the bench in the Olympic opener against Serbia. Although Tatum played in four of the other five games – he sat out again in the semifinals against Serbia – his benching has been one of the talking points of this World Cup.
“This is one of those things where there’s a lot of discussion and debate,” Tatum said. “There was a time when he was a superstar? And then it was a big debate, like, is he ready to win a championship now? So how could he not make it (to the Olympics)? I thought, I just won the championship and now It’s summer, and if you’re not turning on ESPN and they’re talking about you, it might be nice to take a break, but I guess that’s part of it, and that’s probably where I’m at in my career right now.
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Although Tatum was in the Olympic Village and avoided discussing the matter publicly while the Games were ongoing, Tatum was still aware of what was happening outside of Paris. While this was one of the rare times when the public seemed to support him, it still wasn’t easy for him.
“A lot.” In the age of social media, you can see everything. “You see all the tweets and podcasts and people on TV saying their opinion, whether they think it’s a good decision or an outrageous decision or whatever. Obviously, I want to make more Contribute more, and I’ve never been in that situation. I started playing basketball at the YMCA when I was three years old, and I’ve never not played basketball, so it’s different and it’s challenging.
U.S. head coach Steve Kerr attributed his decision to play against Nikola Jokic and the Serbian roster before passing on all remaining games except for the semifinal rematch with Serbia. Put Tatum on the floor to prove he means business.
Ironically, his Celtics teammate Jrue Holiday was the beneficiary of Tatum starting against Serbia. But Holiday said Wednesday that he felt the entire situation may have been disproportionate to the scale of coverage throughout the basketball community.
“When you see it everywhere and people talk about it and I hear it all the time, I’m like, ‘Man, I can only imagine what he’s going through,'” Holiday said.. “I think he enjoys it, I think it’s part of the experience, enjoys it. I hope he gets a chance to (enjoy) it, because I did. It’s fun to play with him and (Derrick) White, but it’s fun to play with some of the best players in history.” It’s also fun to play with the best players ever.
“I’m not moping. I don’t have an attitude. I’m not angry at the world,” Tatum said. “I prepared, I did what was asked of me, and I won the gold medal, right?”
In addition to rotation limitations, there’s another reason why Tatum is off the depth chart. After missing a shot in the second half of the regular season, he had the worst stretch of his career since the playoffs began.
“I know I didn’t have a jump shot when I was on Team USA. I don’t know, law of averages,” Tatum said. “It’s a weird rhythm with Team USA; you never know when you’re going to get the ball. But that’s part of it. You sign up because I’ve done it before (at the Tokyo Olympics).
Tatum and those around him insist he is not injured or has lost confidence in his shot. Even though he shot 28.3 percent from the field in the playoffs and missed every jump shot during his time with Team USA, he said he’s been playing basketball long enough that he’s not worried about returning before October. On track.
“I have two (gold medals) now, I have a championship, but it doesn’t necessarily go the way you expect it to, right?” Tatum said. “I’ve learned to say, ‘OK, this is part of it.'” You move on and I’m ready to enjoy the last few weeks before the season starts and get ready for next season.
Tatum has had a hugely successful summer both on and off the court. He was named the NBA 2K25 cover athlete, his children’s book will be released on September 10, and he signed the largest contract extension in NBA history (so far).
Jayson Tatum holds up his son Deuce after the Celtics won the NBA championship at home in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Things are finally slowing down so Tatum can focus on spending the rest of the summer with his 6-year-old son, Deuce, before he starts first grade. As Tatum continues to learn how to deal with the increasingly bright spotlight, his son is beginning to understand who his father is to the rest of the world.
“I think that experience in school made him realize how important it was for us to win a championship or compete for a championship,” Tatum said. “He just thought it was normal until he went to school and people were talking about the Celtics and us winning and us trying to compete for a championship. I think he realized the importance of that because he was around kids his own age. , even older children in fourth and fifth grade.
Last season, he was frequently at Deuce’s school, spending time with his son’s classmates and teachers. Tatum said he enjoys reading in his son’s class because the kids are so excited. Des became the talk of the school when he was a kindergarten student and got a taste of what it was like to be a father. Tatum said that while his son is growing up quickly, as a parent, he is learning to let go.
“I’m not going to lie, I was nervous at first, sending him to school,” Tatum said. “Just because you leave your most prized possession, your own children, in the care of someone else five days a week, it’s obviously a normal thing to do. The kids go to school. But I was nervous at first.
Once Deuce starts school, Tatum can turn his attention to his day job. His goal for the Celtics is to ensure they don’t lose their sense of urgency next season. He said they have to overcome the urge to become complacent, which they successfully did last year under Joe Mazzula.
The Celtics had the ring installed two weeks ago, and Tatum said everyone is excited about the process. When the team entered the facility earlier this month, he told everyone they needed to make sure their championship celebrations were short-lived once games began.
“My thought is, after ring night, in a weird way, we have to put it behind us,” he said. “Last year was last year. We did it. It was a dream come true. We worked our butts off for it. But after ring night, we have to move on. We have to be ready for Game 2.
Tatum and the Celtics had suffered multiple setbacks in the past before finally breaking through this summer. Even though they came so close many times, just one championship changed their reputation and perspective.
But this summer hasn’t been perfect for Tatum. His success also came with a humbling experience. Those moments in previous seasons helped him become the Celtics’ best player and now officially a championship-caliber superstar. So Team USA’s bench, even if it’s probably overstated in the grand scheme of things, could work to Tatum’s advantage in the long run.
“I’ve always been a glass-half-full person,” he said. “I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason, but whatever that is, I don’t know yet. But I’m sure I’ll find out.
(Above: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
