Canada Basketball Star Makes Viral Jayson Tatum Statement at Paris Olympics
![Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA forward Jayson Tatum (10) shoots against Canada guard Jamal Murray (4) in the second quarter in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA forward Jayson Tatum (10) shoots against Canada guard Jamal Murray (4) in the second quarter in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5563,h_3129,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_nuggets/01j4fayf05qbkbyn9ftm.jpg)
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has been All-NBA First Team in three-straight seasons, capping that off with a championship this past June. One of the best players in basketball, Tatum is currently on a Team USA roster at the Paris Olympics that includes several other players of his caliber.
This dynamic has led to fluctuating roles, including Steve Kerr making the controversial decision to not play Tatum at all in USA Basketball's Olympic opener against Serbia. Tatum has started both games since his DNP, but other Team USA stars seen their minutes fluctuate.
Team USA is not the only group at the Paris Olympics with established NBA stars sacrificing minutes or touches. Speaking recently on this dynamic, Denver Nuggets and Canadian basketball star Jamal Murray pointed to Tatum's Olympic opener DNP when speaking about his own reduced role.
Lots of questions and talk about whether Jamal Murray is 100% and why he isn’t playing more for Canada in the first two games.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 31, 2024
I asked him about that after yesterday’s win, and loved his answer. pic.twitter.com/lEq5fkOdmo
"Everybody has their role," Murray said. "You saw Jayson Tatum didn't play a single minute. Tyrese Haliburton didn't play. A lot of guys on other teams are starting on their respective NBA teams, so it's not an ego thing over here. We're just trying to get the win."
Fans loved Murray's statement, as his humble response went viral on social media. Pointing to both Tatum and Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, Murray highlighted other NBA stars at the Olympics who have sacrificed for their team.
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