Celtics’ Jayson Tatum says Joe Mazzulla was ‘probably the happiest person’ to get his Olympic bench seat
BOSTON — It must have been quite a challenge for Jayson Tatum to miss out on the Finals MVP award and sit on the bench during the Olympics.
Still, he said Tuesday morning that Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was thrilled to see the All-NBA forward as a talented potential source of motivation.
“Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win the Finals MVP and that I didn’t play in two of the games in the Olympics,” Tatum said at the Celtics’ media day. “So, that was strange, but if you know Joe, it makes sense.”
Jayson Tatum: “I talked to Joe a lot. Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win the Finals MVP award and that I didn’t play in two of the Olympics. It was strange. But when you know Joe, it makes sense.”
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) September 24, 2024
The Celtics won Tatum’s first NBA championship in June, beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games, but the Finals MVP award went to Jaylen Brown. Tatum later won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA, but was given two DNP-CDs (did not play due to coach’s decision) during the tournament. Steve Kerr’s decision to bench Tatum was surprising given the 26-year-old’s pedigree.
Mazzulla must be convinced that the experiences will motivate Tatum.
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“Did I need motivation going into the season?” Tatum said. “No. I’m not going to give credit to anyone in particular that motivated me going into the season. It was a unique circumstance, something I’d never experienced before in my playing career, but I believe everything happens for a reason. I was coming off a championship, the highest, the cover of 2K and a new contract, and then this happened.
“And whatever the reason is, I haven’t figured it out yet, but I believe everything happens for a reason. But it was a good experience. We won a gold medal, I won my second. I was around some of the best players that ever played the game on a daily basis, built some friendships, and was able to take my family and enjoy the Olympics as a whole. So that was definitely a plus for me.”
While Tatum’s comments about the Olympics were consistent with his sentiments from his conversation with The Athletics In August, one thing changed: the state of his jump shot. Over the summer, Tatum attributed his poor shooting in the postseason and the Olympics to a mix of being out of rhythm and the law of averages. Tatum shot 28.3 percent from long range in the postseason and then missed every jump shot he took in France.
But on Tuesday, he described some of the mechanical work he’s done with his skills trainer to get his shot back on track. Tatum said he’s made changes in everything from the placement of his hand on the ball to keeping his shoulders forward.
“There’s some things I could have fixed, but in the middle of the playoffs, when you’re trying to figure out your rest and stuff, it’s a little tougher,” Tatum said. “I was still playing well, but I wasn’t shooting the ball as well as I would have liked. And obviously we were winning, so it wasn’t the time or the place to try to fix things at that point.”
Their Boston teammates, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, also won gold medals with Team USA.
Like Tatum, Brown could use the Olympics as fuel. After a playoff run that saw him win the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP, Brown was passed over for a spot on the Olympic roster, even after Kawhi Leonard left the team over the summer. Brown laughed when the first question posed to him at media day was about the snub.
“Goddammit,” Brown said. “Can’t we warm up a little? S—.”
Brown suggested he keep the decision in mind during the off-season.
“I’m extremely motivated for obvious reasons,” Brown said, “and I’m ready to go for it.”
“I’m ready,” he added. “I’m excited to be back. The past is the past, but I’m ready to get after it, lead our guys, get the guys, build some team chemistry, don’t skip any steps and just set the tone for a new year.”
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(Photo: Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)
