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 position 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 go, a last phrase to place questions of his stardom to mattress.
But it surely took only a few weeks for the dialog to begin once more. This time, the tenor was completely different. As a member of Group USA, Tatum (alongside Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton) didn’t make it off the bench within the Olympics opener towards Serbia. Although Tatum performed in 4 of the opposite 5 video games — he sat once more towards Serbia within the semifinals — his benching turned one of many speaking factors of the event.
“It’s a type of issues the place there’s been a lot speak and debate,” Tatum stated. “There was a interval of is he a celebrity or not? Then it was a giant debate, like, is he championship prepared now? Then it’s like how might he not get within the (Olympics)? I’m like, I simply received a championship, it’s {the summertime}, it may be good to have somewhat break the place you don’t activate ESPN they usually’re speaking about you. However I suppose that is a part of it, and that could be the extent that I’ve reached now in my profession.”
Relive the Boston Celtics’ unimaginable 2024 championship season. Backyard Social gathering takes the reader from preseason all the way in which till the final minute in Boston.
Relive the Boston Celtics’ unimaginable 2024 championship season.
Purchase
Regardless that he was within the Olympic Village and prevented discussing it publicly whereas the Video games had been nonetheless going, Tatum was conscious of what was occurring 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 rather a lot. Within the age of social media, you see every little thing,” Tatum stated throughout a cellphone name. “You see all of the tweets and the folks on the podcasts and folks on TV giving their opinion on whether or not they thought it was a very good 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.”
Group USA head coach Steve Kerr attributed his determination to matching up towards Nikola Jokić and the large 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 towards Serbia. However Vacation stated Wednesday he felt the entire state of affairs may need been blown out of proportion with the quantity of protection it obtained throughout the basketball world.
“Once you see it all over the place on a regular basis and individuals 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 stated. “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 obtained 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 few of the greatest gamers ever.”
“I wasn’t moping round. I didn’t have an angle. I wasn’t indignant on the world,” Tatum stated. “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 for the reason that playoffs started.
“I do know I didn’t make a soar shot after I was with Group USA. I don’t know, regulation of averages,” Tatum stated. “It’s a bizarre rhythm factor being with Group USA; you by no means precisely know once you’re gonna get the ball. However that’s a part of it. You join that as a result of I’ve accomplished 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 p.c from deep within the playoffs and missed each jumper he took whereas on Group USA, he stated he’s been taking part in basketball lengthy sufficient that he’s not nervous about getting again on observe by October.
“I’ve two (gold medals) now, I’ve a championship, and every little thing doesn’t essentially go the way in which you count on it to go, proper?” Tatum stated. “I’ve realized 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 court docket. He was named the NBA 2K25 cowl athlete, he has a kids’s guide popping out Sept. 10, and he signed the largest 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 Picture/Charles Krupa)
Issues have lastly slowed down, so Tatum can deal with spending the remainder of the summer season along 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 understand how large of a deal it was (for) us successful a championship or competing for it,” Tatum stated. “He simply thought that was regular till he went to highschool and individuals are speaking in regards to the Celtics and us successful and us attempting to compete for a championship. I believe he realized the magnitude of that, being round children his age and even the older children in fourth, fifth grade.”
Final season he would present as much as Deuce’s college typically to spend time along with his son’s classmates and academics. Tatum stated he beloved studying to his son’s class as the youngsters obtained excited. Deuce obtained a style of what it was prefer to be his dad when he was the speak of his college as a kindergartner. Whereas his son is rising up quick, Tatum stated he’s is studying as a guardian to let go.
“I’m not gonna lie, I used to be nervous, at first, to ship him to highschool,” Tatum stated. “Simply since you’re placing your most prized possession, your personal little one, within the care of any individual else 5 days every week, which is clearly a standard factor. Children go to highschool. However at first, I used to be nervous.”
As soon as Deuce begins college, Tatum can flip his consideration to his day job. His aim for the Celtics is to verify they don’t lose their sense of urgency subsequent season. He stated they must battle the urge to be complacent, one thing they succeeded with final yr beneath Joe Mazzulla.
The Celtics had been fitted for his or her rings two weeks in the past, and Tatum stated everybody was excited by the method. When the workforce got here into the ability earlier this month, he advised everybody they wanted to verify 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 manner, we obtained to place that behind (us),” he stated. “Final yr was final yr. 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 prior 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 excellent for Tatum. With all his success got here a humbling expertise as effectively. These moments in prior seasons helped hone him into the Celtics’ greatest participant, a now formally championship-caliber celebrity. So the Group USA benching, even when it might have been blown out of proportion within the grand scheme of issues, could profit Tatum in the long term.
“I’m all the time a glass-half-full sort of man,” he stated. “I all the time imagine every little thing occurs for a cause and no matter that’s, I don’t know but. However I’m sure I’ll discover out.”
(High photograph: Ezra Shaw / Getty Photos)
