Some issues by no means change for Jayson Tatum. As his profession has continued to ebb and movement, there was one fixed: Tatum finds himself on the heart of dialog.
He broke onto the NBA scene as a formidable function participant when he was 19, solely to oscillate within the public eye between auspicious and overhyped. Main the Boston Celtics to a title in June gave him a championship move, a ultimate phrase to place questions of his stardom to mattress.
However it took only a few weeks for the dialog to start out once more. This time, the tenor was completely different. As a member of Staff USA, Tatum (alongside Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton) didn’t make it off the bench within the Olympics opener in opposition to Serbia. Although Tatum performed in 4 of the opposite 5 video games — he sat once more in opposition to Serbia within the semifinals — his benching grew to become one of many speaking factors of the event.
“It’s a kind of issues the place there’s been a lot discuss and debate,” Tatum mentioned. “There was a interval of is he a famous person or not? Then it was a giant debate, like, is he championship prepared now? Then it’s like how may he not get within the (Olympics)? I’m like, I simply received a championship, it’s {the summertime}, it may be good to have slightly break the place you don’t activate ESPN and so they’re speaking about you. However I suppose that is a part of it, and which may be the extent that I’ve reached now in my profession.”
Relive the Boston Celtics’ unimaginable 2024 championship season. Backyard Celebration takes the reader from preseason all the best way till the final minute in Boston.
Relive the Boston Celtics’ unimaginable 2024 championship season.
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Though he was within the Olympic Village and prevented discussing it publicly whereas the Video games have been nonetheless going, Tatum was conscious of what was taking place exterior of Paris. And whereas this was one of many uncommon instances by which the general public appeared to have his again, it nonetheless wasn’t straightforward for him.
“It was quite a bit. Within the age of social media, you see every part,” Tatum mentioned throughout a telephone name. “You see all of the tweets and the individuals on the podcasts and folks on TV giving their opinion on whether or not they thought it was a great determination or it was an outrageous determination or no matter. Clearly, I needed to contribute extra, and I’ve by no means been in (this) state of affairs. I began taking part in basketball at (age) 3 on the YMCA, and I’ve by no means not performed, so it was completely different and it was difficult.”
Staff USA head coach Steve Kerr attributed his determination to matching up in opposition to Nikola Jokić and the massive Serbia roster, then proved he meant it by taking part in Tatum in each remaining recreation apart from the Serbia rematch within the semifinals.
Sarcastically, his Celtics teammate Jrue Vacation was a beneficiary of Tatum’s benching as he began these matchups in opposition to Serbia. However Vacation mentioned Wednesday he felt the entire state of affairs may need been blown out of proportion with the quantity of protection it received throughout the basketball world.
“If you see it in every single place on a regular basis and persons are speaking about it and I’m listening to about it on a regular basis, I’m like, ‘Man, I can solely simply think about what he’s going by means of,’” Vacation mentioned. “I really feel like he loved himself and I really feel like that’s part of the expertise, is having fun with it. I hope he received an opportunity to (get pleasure from) it, as a result of I did. It’s enjoyable to play with him and (Derrick) White, however then it’s additionally enjoyable to play with a number of the greatest gamers ever.”
“I wasn’t moping round. I didn’t have an angle. I wasn’t indignant on the world,” Tatum mentioned. “I stayed prepared and did what was requested of me and I received a gold medal, proper?”
Past the rotation limitations, there was one more reason for Tatum to get knocked down the depth chart. After taking pictures lights out within the second half of the common season, he has been on the worst chilly streak of his profession because the playoffs started.
“I do know I didn’t make a soar shot after I was with Staff USA. I don’t know, legislation of averages,” Tatum mentioned. “It’s a bizarre rhythm factor being with Staff USA; you by no means precisely know if you’re gonna get the ball. However that’s a part of it. You join that as a result of I’ve carried out it earlier than (on the Tokyo Video games).”
Tatum and people round him have maintained he isn’t injured and hasn’t misplaced confidence in his shot. Although he shot 28.3 % from deep within the playoffs and missed each jumper he took whereas on Staff USA, he mentioned he’s been taking part in basketball lengthy sufficient that he’s not nervous about getting again on monitor by October.
“I’ve two (gold medals) now, I’ve a championship, and every part doesn’t essentially go the best way you anticipate it to go, proper?” Tatum mentioned. “I’ve discovered to be like, ‘OK, that’s part of it.’ You progress on, and I’m on the point of benefit from the final little weeks I’ve earlier than the season begins and prepare for an additional season.”
Tatum’s summer season has been filled with success on and off the courtroom. He was named the NBA 2K25 cowl athlete, he has a kids’s ebook popping out Sept. 10, and he signed the most important contract extension in NBA historical past (for now).
Jayson Tatum lifts his son, Deuce, after the Celtics received the NBA title at dwelling in Boston. (AP Photograph/Charles Krupa)
Issues have lastly slowed down, so Tatum can give attention to spending the remainder of the summer season together with his 6-year-old son Deuce earlier than he begins first grade. As Tatum continues to learn to deal with the more and more vivid highlight, his son is beginning to perceive who his father is to the remainder of the world.
“Being in school, I suppose, made him notice how massive of a deal it was (for) us successful a championship or competing for it,” Tatum mentioned. “He simply thought that was regular till he went to high school and persons are speaking concerning the Celtics and us successful and us making an attempt to compete for a championship. I believe he realized the magnitude of that, being round youngsters his age and even the older youngsters in fourth, fifth grade.”
Final season he would present as much as Deuce’s college usually to spend time together with his son’s classmates and academics. Tatum mentioned he beloved studying to his son’s class as the youngsters received excited. Deuce received a style of what it was wish to be his dad when he was the discuss of his college as a kindergartner. Whereas his son is rising up quick, Tatum mentioned he’s is studying as a mother or father to let go.
“I’m not gonna lie, I used to be nervous, at first, to ship him to high school,” Tatum mentioned. “Simply since you’re placing your most prized possession, your personal little one, within the care of someone else 5 days per week, which is clearly a standard factor. Youngsters go to high school. However at first, I used to be nervous.”
As soon as Deuce begins college, Tatum can flip his consideration to his day job. His objective for the Celtics is to ensure they don’t lose their sense of urgency subsequent season. He mentioned they should struggle the urge to be complacent, one thing they succeeded with final 12 months underneath Joe Mazzulla.
The Celtics have been fitted for his or her rings two weeks in the past, and Tatum mentioned everybody was excited by the method. When the crew got here into the power earlier this month, he informed everybody they wanted to ensure their title celebration was short-lived as soon as the video games started.
“I’m of the mindset that after ring evening, in a bizarre method, we received to place that behind (us),” he mentioned. “Final 12 months was final 12 months. We did it. It was a dream come true. We labored our ass off for it. However after ring evening, we gotta transfer on. We gotta prepare for recreation two.”
Tatum and the Celtics got here up brief so many instances up to now earlier than lastly breaking by means of this summer season. Only one championship modified their reputations and perspective, despite the fact that they got here so shut so many instances.
However this summer season wasn’t good for Tatum. With all his success got here a humbling expertise as properly. These moments in prior seasons helped hone him into the Celtics’ greatest participant, a now formally championship-caliber famous person. So the Staff USA benching, even when it could have been blown out of proportion within the grand scheme of issues, might profit Tatum in the long term.
“I’m all the time a glass-half-full kind of man,” he mentioned. “I all the time consider every part occurs for a motive and no matter that’s, I don’t know but. However I’m sure I’ll discover out.”
(Prime picture: Ezra Shaw / Getty Photographs)
