Tatum admitted it was difficult to deal with the social media pressure and constant attention to him being benched and missing his signature jumpers.
While Team USA featured a wide array of superstars in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games this summer, Jayson Tatum and his two missed games were one of the hottest topics in the basketball community throughout the entire tournament.
Tatum was benched in two of Team USA's six games in the Olympics. In the remaining four matchups, he averaged just 5.3 points per game.
"It's one of those things where there's been so much talk and debate. There was a period of 'Is he a superstar or not?' Then it was a big debate, like, 'Is he championship-ready now?' Then it's like, 'How could he not get in the [Olympics]?' I'm like, I just won a championship, it's the summertime, it might be nice to have a little break where you don't turn on ESPN and they're talking about you. But I guess this is part of it, and that may be the level that I've reached now in my career," Tatum told Jared Weiss from The Athletic about it.
Jayson Tatum
| Position: | SF |
| Age: | 26 |
| Height: | 203 cm |
| Weight: | 93 kg |
| Birth place: | St. Louis, United States of America |
With Team USA's roster featuring all-time greats like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, Tatum was coming off an NBA championship win with the Boston Celtics and was considered one of the best players at his position in the world.
"It was a lot," Tatum admitted. "In the age of social media, you see everything. You see all the tweets and the people on the podcasts and people on TV giving their opinion on whether they thought it was a good decision or it was an outrageous decision or whatever. Obviously, I wanted to contribute more, and I've never been in [this] situation. I started playing basketball at 3 at the YMCA, and I've never not played, so it was different and it was challenging."
Additionally, the fact that Tatum missed every single one of his jump shots during his time with Team USA didn't help either. Tatum is known for his stepbacks and pullups, and his inability to make even one during an entire month was another big story.
"I know I didn't make a jump shot when I was with Team USA. I don’t know, law of averages," Tatum said. "It's a weird rhythm thing being with Team USA; you never exactly know when you're gonna get the ball. But that's part of it. You sign up for that because I've done it before."
"I'm always a glass-half-full type of guy," Tatum later said. "I always believe everything happens for a reason and whatever that is, I don't know yet. But I'm certain I'll find out."
