Despite Team USA being close to capturing their fourth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics, the talk has been about the involvement or lack thereof in regards to Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. After recording another game without a single second played, the basketball world has been talking, even his NBA peers in Paul George and Trae Young.
The Atlanta Hawks point guard was on the new Philadelphia 76ers star's podcast where they talked about Team USA and the “sacrifices” that come with that, which prompted the conversation around Tatum and how they're shocked of his playing time.
Young would start by saying that “you gotta sacrifice [for Team USA] to win these games” which led to George expressing that “but JT [Jayson Tatum] can’t be one of them.” It would conclude in both star players agreeing they “don't understand” how the Celtics forward is the “odd man out.”
One could say in defense of Team USA that the team is so stacked with talent that some will have to sit on the bench more than others like also with Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, but people have found trouble with Tatum. He is coming off leading Boston to a championship and securing a $315 million contract, the largest in NBA history, but USA head coach Steve Kerr has called it a “math problem” per The Associated Press.
“It’s not about anything Jayson is doing or not doing,” Kerr said. “It’s just about combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin has filled in since he came back from his injury, it’s just a math problem more than anything.”
Jayson Tatum's playing time on Team USA is “mystifying”
The discussion is constant around NBA circles, even with Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck who said on a radio show that “it's mystifying.”
“I mean, I would wouldn't play Steve Kerr, let me put it that way,” Grousbeck said. “What's going on? It's a complete mystery. I don't think Jayson deserves anything but praise, kudos, and playing time. I think he and Jaylen led us to this unbelievable championship and there are not apparently helping out the Olympics team, not able to be helpful in the Olympics team and just leave it at that, it's mystifying.”
Even basketball legend Bob Cousy would go as far as to call it an “embarrassment” that Tatum is receiving little to no playing time.
“This isn’t just a snub,” Cousy said. “This is an embarrassment for that poor kid all over the [expletive] world…Everyone’s going to think that there’s something wrong this this kid…And then to not let Tatum get off the bench — to me, there’s got to be some kind of bias that he’s got against the Celtics.”
At any rate, Team USA is coming off a win over Serbia where at one point they were down by 17 points where Tatum didn't play. USA will face France in the gold medal game Saturday where it remains to be seen what Tatum's role will be.
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