Jayson Tatum Discusses ‘Debate’ Over Olympic Bench Sitting, Celtics’ NBA Title, and More
Some things never change for Jayson Tatum. As his career has ebbed and flowed, there has been one constant: Tatum is at the center of the conversation.
He burst onto the NBA scene as an impressive role player at 19, but he’s oscillated between promising and overhyped in the public eye. By leading the Boston Celtics to a title in June, he earned a championship pass, a final word to settle questions about his stardom.
But it took just a few weeks for the conversation to pick up again. This time, the tone was different. As a member of Team USA, Tatum (along with Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton) did not come off the bench in the opening game of the Olympics against Serbia. Although Tatum played in four of the other five games — he was again benched against Serbia in the semifinals — his benching became one of the talking points of the tournament.
“It’s one of those things that’s been talked about and debated so much,” Tatum said.. “There was a period of whether he was a superstar or not. Then there was a big debate, like, is he ready for a championship now? Then it was like, how could he not play in the (Olympics)? I thought, I just won a championship, it’s summer, it would be nice to have a little break where you’re not turning on ESPN and they’re talking about you. But I think this is part of it, and that’s maybe the level I’ve reached in my career now.”
Relive the Boston Celtics’ incredible 2024 championship season. Garden Party takes readers from preseason to the final minute in Boston.
Relive the Boston Celtics’ incredible 2024 championship season.
Although he was in the Olympic Village and avoided talking about it publicly while the Games were still going on, Tatum knew what was happening outside of Paris. And while this was one of the rare times the public seemed to support him, it still wasn’t easy for him.
“It was a lot. In the age of social media, you see everything,” Tatum said in a phone interview. “You see all the tweets and the people on the podcasts and the people on TV giving their opinions on whether they thought it was a good decision or an outrageous decision or whatever. Obviously, I wanted to contribute more, and I’ve never been in (this) a situation before. I started playing basketball at (age) 3 at the YMCA, and I’ve never not played, so it was different and it was challenging.”
Steve Kerr, the U.S. team coach, attributed his decision to the match against Nikola Jokić and the large Serbian selection. However, he proved he meant business by allowing Tatum to play in all remaining matches except the semifinal rematch against Serbia.
Ironically, his Celtics teammate Jrue Holiday benefited from Tatum’s benching when he started those games against Serbia. But Holiday said Wednesday that he felt the whole situation may have been blown out of proportion with the amount of attention it’s received in the basketball world.
“When you see it everywhere and people talk about it and I hear about it all the time, I think, ‘Man, I can only imagine what he’s going through,’” Holiday said.. “I feel like he enjoyed it and I think that’s part of the experience, enjoying it. I hope he got a chance to enjoy it because I did. It’s fun playing with him and (Derrick) White, but it’s also fun playing with some of the best players ever.”
“I didn’t sulk. I didn’t have an attitude. I wasn’t mad at the world,” Tatum said. “I just stood up and did what was asked of me and I won a gold medal, right?”
Besides the rotation limitations, there was another reason Tatum was pushed down the depth chart. After shooting brilliantly in the second half of the regular season, he was in the worst cold stretch of his career since the playoffs began.
“I know I didn’t make a jump shot when I was on Team USA. I don’t know, the law of averages,” Tatum said. “It’s a weird rhythm being on Team USA; you never know when you’re going to get the ball. But that’s part of it. You sign up for it because I’ve done it before (at the Tokyo Games).”
Tatum and those around him have insisted he is not injured and that he has not lost confidence in his shot. Although he shot 28.3 percent from long range in the playoffs and missed every jumper he made while on Team USA, he said he has been playing basketball long enough not to worry about getting back on track come October.
“I have two (gold medals), I have a championship, and not everything necessarily goes the way you expect, right?” Tatum said. “I’ve learned to say, ‘Okay, that’s part of it.’ You move on, and I’m just getting ready to enjoy the last little weeks I have before the season starts and get ready for a new season.”
Tatum’s summer was filled with success on and off the court. He was named NBA 2K25 cover athlete, his children’s book is coming out on September 10, and he signed the biggest contract extension in NBA history (so far).
Jayson Tatum lifts his son Deuce after the Celtics won the NBA title at home in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Things have finally calmed down a bit, 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 handle the increasingly bright spotlight, his son is beginning to understand who his father is to the rest of the world.
“Being in school, I think, made him realize how important it was for us to win a championship or compete,” Tatum said. “He just thought that was normal until he got to school and people were talking about the Celtics and us winning and us trying to compete for a championship. I think he realized how big that was when he was surrounded by kids his own age and even the older kids in fourth, fifth grade.”
Last season, he came to Deuce’s school often to spend time with his son’s classmates and teachers. Tatum said he loved reading to his son’s class because the kids got excited. Deuce got a taste of what it was like to be a dad when he was the talk of his school as a toddler. Even though his son is growing up fast, Tatum said he’s learning to let go as a parent.
“I’m not going to lie, I was nervous at first about sending him to school,” Tatum said. “Just because you’re putting your most valuable asset, your own child, in someone else’s care five days a week, which is a normal thing. Kids go to school. But I was nervous at first.”
Once Deuce goes to school, Tatum can turn his attention to his day job. His goal for the Celtics is to make sure they don’t lose their sense of urgency next season. He said they need to fight the tendency to become complacent, something they were able to do last year under Joe Mazzulla.
The Celtics got their rings fitted two weeks ago, and Tatum said everyone was excited about the process. When the team entered the facility earlier this month, he told everyone to make sure their title celebration was short-lived once the games started.
“I feel like after ring night, in a weird way, we have to put that behind us,” he said. “Last year was last year. We did it. It was a dream come true. We worked really hard for it. But after ring night, we have to move on. We have to get ready for game two.”
Tatum and the Celtics have come up short so many times in the past before finally breaking through this summer. Only one championship changed their reputation and outlook, even though they came so close so many times.
But this summer hasn’t been perfect for Tatum. With all his success has come a humbling experience. Those moments in previous seasons helped him become the Celtics’ best player, now an official championship-caliber superstar. So Team USA’s benching, even if it may be out of context in the grand scheme of things, could benefit Tatum in the long run.
“I’m always a glass-half-full kind of guy,” he said. “I always believe that everything happens for a reason and whatever that is, I don’t know yet. But I’m sure I’ll find out.”
(Top photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
