Boston Celtics fans have been raging at how Jayson Tatum was treated by Team USA, playing as the 11th man on the roster and getting multiple DNPs at the Olympics. Even though everyone is upset, 2008 Champion Kevin Garnett is happy to see Tatum get a lot of rest at the Olympics after winning an NBA Championship in June.
“It was great that he didn’t have to play a lot of minutes, man. He’s coming off of the Finals… I’m glad they didn’t need Jayson Tatum. I’m glad he got to actually rest and chill.”
“When you win, you get a shortened season, while everybody else gets four, five months off. You probably get what, two, two and a half? And then it’s right back in the lab. He had to turn around and win the NBA championship. Turn around, what two, two and a half weeks, three weeks, start preparing for the USA, and then had to show up to training camp for that. I can only imagine how difficult that was for him.”
“It was great that [Jayson Tatum] didn’t have to play a lot of minutes…”@KevinGarnett5KG offers a unique take on JT’s hotly-debated run with Team USA at the Paris Olympics 👀 pic.twitter.com/jCeZsLmhEP
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) August 15, 2024
Tatum’s benching at the Olympics was controversial, but it isn’t like Tatum’s on-court play was so phenomenal that he made himself a crucial piece for the USA. He averaged 5.3 points in four games while shooting 38.1% from the field.
He looked awkward on the court for large chunks of time as well, which likely resulted in him being demoted to the 11th man on the team while coach Steve Kerr ran a 10-man rotation.
Jayson Tatum Called The Olympics A ‘Tough Personal’ Experience
Tatum couldn’t pretend like he wasn’t bothered by how he was treated at the Olympics in interviews, as the Celtics star definitely expected to play big minutes and be a cornerstone of the team heading into the summer. Unfortunately, that isn’t how it played out, with Tatum himself calling it a ‘tough personal experience.’
“It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I’m not going to make any decision on emotions. If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028 — it is four years from now and I [would have] to take time and think about that. So I’m not going to make any decision based on how this experience was or how I felt individually.”
“Like I said, it’s something I’m going to take away from this and learn from this experience. It’s definitely challenging and humbling at the same time.”
Celtics fans will hope Tatum uses this experience as motivation heading into next season. He won a title but more people believe Tatum is overrated now than they did before, especially after he lost out on Finals MVP. It’s a prove-it year for Tatum next season as the Celtics hope to win their 19th NBA title.
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