Jayson Tatum opens up about tough experience at 2024 Olympics

Jayson Tatum captured a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris on Saturday, but frustration surrounded the majority of his time on Team USA.

Tatum was a DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision) twice in these Olympic games, and didn’t make nearly the contribution he’d hoped for when he was selected to represent the U.S. this summer.

The Celtics star was coming off a first-team All-NBA selection and an NBA championship earlier in the year, so it’s understandable that he had negative feelings about receiving very few meaningful minutes in Paris.

“A lot of people text me and reached out and said ‘Make sure this fuels you,’ which I appreciate, Tatum told reporters. “I think the tough part is yes, you can use things to fuel you, but I’m still human. … I’ve sacrificed and put a lot into this game and work really, really hard. So in the moment it is tough.”

Tatum played 11 minutes in the gold medal game, recording just two points and three rebounds.

Many people came to the defense of Tatum as the superstar struggled to break into Team USA’s lineup, from Brad Stevens, to Celtics great Bob Cousy. Even Tatum’s mother chimed in on the issue.

Fellow NBA stars Paul George and Trae Young also seemed to support Tatum, questioning the decision on George’s podcast.

“How is JT the odd man out?,” George said.

Following such an emotional rollercoaster as the 2024 Olympics was for Tatum, it’s fair to wonder if the face of the Boston Celtics franchise would consider turning down a spot on Team USA in 2028.

Tatum put that thought to bed, explaining that while he’s undecided about playing in 2028, he won’t let this experience affect that decision.

“It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I’m not going to make any decision off emotions,” Tatum said. “I’m not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually.”