Even though Jayson Tatum played a pivotal role in leading the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship, his role with Team USA in the Paris Olympics under head coach Steve Kerr turned heads. Tatum was used sparingly, a move that surprised many, but according to Tatum, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was fully supportive of Kerr’s decision.
During the Celtics’ media day, Tatum opened up about his Olympic experience and revealed Mazzulla’s reaction to the situation. “In real time, [not playing in the Olympics] was tough,” Tatum admitted.
He continued, “Joe (Mazzulla), I talked to Joe a lot. Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win Finals MVP and I didn’t play in two games of the Olympics. That was odd, but if you know Joe, it makes sense.”
Tatum reflected on how the situation with Team USA impacted him. “It was a unique circumstance, something I haven’t experienced before in my playing career,” he said. “But I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason. I was coming off a championship, highest of highs, cover of 2K, a new contract, and then that happened.”
Head coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics converses with Jayson Tatum #0. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
“Whatever the reason is, I haven’t figured it out yet. But I am a believer that everything happens for a reason,” Tatum added. “It was a good experience. We won a gold medal, I won my second one, and I got to be around some of the best players in the game daily. I built some friendships and had the chance to bring my family to enjoy the Olympics, so that was a plus for me, for sure.”
see also
NBA News: Jayson Tatum claims he knew the moment when Celtics would became NBA champions
Tatum claims he knew when they would win the title
In an interview with The Boston Globe, Jayson Tatum shared the moment he knew the Celtics were destined for the championship. “People always ask me, when did you guys know you were going to win a championship?” Tatum recalled. “When Minnesota beat Denver, I felt like Denver was the only team that matched up best with us. I thought we were going to play Denver in the Finals, and it was going to be a good one.”
see also
NBA News: Steve Kerr gets real about Jayson Tatum"s conduct with Team USA at the Olympics
Reflecting on the title, Tatum added, “It’s extremely tough to win a championship. I was super proud of what we were able to accomplish. To come into the next season and just say we’re gonna do it again would be insensitive. A lot has to go right. Our mindset is not ‘let’s win the championship again.’ It’s ‘let’s start over, let’s get better every single day, and let’s not skip any steps.’”
