Despite winning the NBA championship for the first time, Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum played for a limited time and even missed two matches with Team USA at the Paris Olympics 2024. While Tatum kept his silence during the Olympics and focused on his role, he recently revealed a weird reason for not making a jump shot during the Summer Games.
Jayson Tatum and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton were benched for the USA’s opening game against Nikola Jokic’s Serbia. USA head coach Steve Kerr called it a strategic decision as the Celtics star played four out of the next five games, missing the semi-final against Serbia.
After the Olympics, Tatum reflected on his lack of playing time with the USA despite winning the NBA championship two months ago. He told the New York Times, “It was a lot. In the age of social media, you see everything… Obviously, I wanted to contribute more, and I’ve never been in (this) situation. I started playing basketball at 3 at the YMCA, and I’ve never not played, so it was different and it was challenging.”
He added, “I wasn’t moping around. I didn’t have an attitude. I wasn’t angry at the world. I stayed ready and did what was asked of me and I won a gold medal, right?”
Jayson Tatum Reveals Reason Behind Him Not Making A Jump Shot During The Olympics
The Celtics star forward scored 21 points at the Paris Olympics 2024. After playing 17.7 minutes per game, he averaged 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. While he shot 8 of 21 from the field, he failed to score a single three-point shot at the Olympics.
The 2024 NBA champion failed to make a single jump shot in Paris and gave a weird reason while asked about it. “I know I didn’t make a jump shot when I was with Team USA. I don’t know, law of averages,” Tatum said.
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He added, “It’s a weird rhythm thing being with Team USA; you never exactly know when you’re gonna get the ball. But that’s part of it. You sign up for that because I’ve done it before (at the Tokyo Games).”
While Tatum shot 47.2% from the field and 28.3% from the three in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. However, the Celtics would want their star forward to be back at his shooting prowess. Boston stands a chance to win back-to-back NBA titles for the first time since the Golden State Warrior’s 2018 victory.
