NFL Star Shades Celtics' Jayson Tatum Over Olympic Benching in Social Media Post

Eva Geitheim | Nov 15, 2024

John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson seemed to randomly call out Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum on his limited playing time at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

"I’m Like Jayson Tatum in the Olympics im not playing," Johnson wrote on Instagram.

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A post shared by Jaylon Johnson (@nbaxjay.1)

Tatum famously saw less playing time during the Paris Olympic Games. Despite just winning his first NBA Finals and receiving a record-breaking contract extension, Tatum appeared in four games for Team USA during the Olympics, the second-fewest among all of the players. Almost every other player appeared in at least five games. Only Tyrese Haliburton, who dealt with injuries during the Paris Olympics, played in fewer games.

During the four games he did play in, Tatum averaged 17.7 minutes of playing per game and recorded 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. He did see playing time during the final game of the Paris Olympics, a 98-87 win over Team France for the gold medal.

Tatum previously played a more significant role in the Team USA group that won the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He averaged 15.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game, finishing second on the team in scoring. That performance came on a team that did not have stars like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, or Stephen Curry playing, which helped Tatum see more playing time.

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr didn't enjoy sitting Tatum during their game against Serbia, but does not regret the decision either as his team ultimately came out victorious and won a fifth straight gold medal in men's basketball.

Tatum has since called the experience "tough," but also stated that he has "moved on" to the 2024-25 NBA season.

“I have two (gold medals) now, I have a championship, and everything doesn’t necessarily go the way you expect it to go, right?” Tatum said after the Paris Olympics, via Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “I’ve learned to be like, ‘OK, that’s a part of it.’ You move on, and I’m getting ready to enjoy the last little weeks I have before the season starts and get ready for another season.”

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