Ex-76ers Star Speaks Out on Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown's Odd Summer

Former 76ers All-Star Jrue Holiday shared his thoughts on Jayson Tatum's Team USA run, along with Jaylen Brown's Olympic snub.

Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) celebrates with the Larry O’Brian Trophy after beating the Dallas Mavericks in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals to win the NBA Championship at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

For one summer, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid teamed up with some Eastern Conference enemies. Not only did Embiid share the court with Boston Celtics standouts Jayson Tatum and Derrick White, but he also teamed up with the former Sixer-turned-Celtic Jrue Holiday for Team USA at the Paris Olympics.

The Sixers’ one-time MVP had a chance to share the gold medal spotlight with his Atlantic Division rivals. It was a feel-good story for most players involved. However, two Celtics players fresh off of their championship run seemed to have felt slighted.

Not only did Boston’s Jaylen Brown fail to get an invite to compete in the Olympics, but the star forward Tatum was just a reserve for most of the run. Both situations ended up being the talk of the summer, which led Holiday to discuss his feelings on both matters with the nine-time All-Star, Paul George.

Jrue Holiday was just as surprised as the rest of us about Jayson Tatum’s limited playing time at the Olympics.

"Was it weird? Yeah, it's Jayson Tatum. Top 5 player in the league."@MetaQuestVR #MetaPartner pic.twitter.com/XUkhNDrcfa

— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) December 2, 2024

“It’s definitely hard to see because you want the best for your man,” Holiday said on Podcast P, regarding his teammates’ situation. “I want them to be able to play as many minutes to do all that win all the accolades.”

While Holiday hoped for a better situation, he made it clear that they both dealt with the situation like a true professional would.

“I feel like they were as professional as can be. JT, the way he handled it, he handled it like a professional,” Holiday continued. “He never brought it in the locker room. He never brought it to us. Like, yeah, we talked about it and all that, but it was never an issue. The same thing with [Derrick White] and [Jaylen Brown]. We all love each other, so it was never an issue amongst us.”

Aug 10, 2024; Paris, France; United States guard LeBron James (6) and small forward Jayson Tatum (10) and guard Jrue Holiday (12) celebrate after defeating France in the men's basketball gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Being a five-time NBA All-Star and a high-level competitor, Tatum obviously wished he had more run out in Paris. At the same time, he was surrounded by players with just as many—if not more—accolades on their resumes. Some players had to take a step back. Unfortunately, Tatum ended up being the one to do it.

“Was it weird? Yeah. That’s Jayson Tatum,” Holiday finished. “He’s a top-five player in the league, just won a championship, one of the best players in the playoffs and the finals. When it was happening, you could feel for him. You could see he was upset, he wanted to play. … He wasn’t pouting. I could tell you that. He would get in the gym and it’s not like he stopped working. He was the one seriously trying to be like I’m going to stay ready whenever my number is called.”

Dec 19, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) dribbles against Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (21) and center Brook Lopez (11) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Constructive Criticism for Zion

Holiday didn’t only discuss his current teammates with Paul George. He also dished his thoughts on one of his former teammates from his days as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, Zion Williamson.

Although Williamson is currently nursing an injury, the former first-overall pick’s future in New Orleans has once again come into question.

While Holiday isn’t sure what the Pelicans need to do in order to maximize Williamson’s potential, he makes it clear that the former Duke superstar is still a major threat to take over.

Zion’s talent is generational, but his former teammate Jrue Holiday wants to see a bit more effort from him.

“I’d have him play a little more defense.”

More on the new episode out now 📺: https://t.co/HlpYXGa0XB pic.twitter.com/fOLrVf6IlB

— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) December 2, 2024

“Zion is one of the most gifted players that I’ve ever seen,” Holiday said on Podcast P. “I don’t know if they have to adjust the fit to him down there or if he maybe needs to slide out and have a different fit with somebody else, but I feel like he needs a change in some kind of way.”

Like many NBA stars and players in general, Williamson has his downsides as a player. After playing with him and against him, Holiday offered some constructive criticism on what he would like to see from his former teammate from an improvement standpoint.

“I’d have him play a little more defense,” Holiday stated. “That’s not a knock on him. I think that makes him the talent that he is. I think that would elevate his game. Offensively, bro, I think he’s got it. He is promising, bro. At least when I had him as a rookie, it was amazing. I’ve seen him at 280, 290, still above the rim like this. If he challenged himself defensively and his teammates saw that, I feel like they would follow. I’ve seen JT and JB doing it. I see how much they wanted to win. I feel like if Zion added that part to his game, that’s just something I would challenge him to every single day. He’s way too good to be going to Play-Ins every year.”

Holiday landed in New Orleans following his four seasons with the 76ers. He spent just 61 games with the Pelicans during Williamson’s rookie season. In 2020-2021, Holiday landed with the Milwaukee Bucks via trade. Last year, he packed up to join the Boston Celtics.

It’s been a while since he shared the court with Zion, but from the outside looking in, Holiday seems to see what many analysts have claimed over time. The Pelicans need to find a solution much sooner than later.