The curious case of Jayson Tatum with Team USA has gained much traction on social media. JT was brilliant last season, leading the Boston Celtics to their first NBA Championship since 2008.
As a result, Tatum rightfully earned a spot on Team USA's roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, that's where the trouble started to begin for the 26-year-old.
Sure, Tatum was available for the entirety of the tournament, but head coach Steve Kerr barely used his talents. Instead, he was either benched or given garbage minutes. It has caused a major uproar against Kerr.
Jayson Tatum's father is bewildered by son's lack of playing time
Team USA won the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. Fans celebrated the win, but most are still focused on Tatum's lack of playing time during the gold medal-winning run. Now, Jayson Tatum's dad, Justin, has become the most recent person to question his son's lack of playing time on Team USA.
"As a coach, I would have no reservations of playing him," Tatum said. "As a coach I would find a way to play him. Why hasn't he played? I don't see it."
Justin spoke about playing his son from a coach's point of view. He believes it should have been a no-brainer to include the 2024 NBA champion in the rotation.
For what it's worth, Tatum scored 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game for the Celtics last season. He struggled in a few games during the playoffs, but overall, he had a successful run.
Tatum is still undecided over his next Olympic run
The majority of the uproar over Tatum's seemingly being ignored by Kerr emerged after his DNP versus Serbia in the semifinals, so much so that the 5x NBA All-Star's mother openly expressed her disappointment .
With Tatum and his family still having a tough time wrapping their heads around the 2024 Olympics experience, many are expecting the Celtics star to skip playing the competition in 2028. However, JT has ensured that he won't be making any decisions in the heat of the moment .
"If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028, it is four years from now, and I would have to take time and think about that. So I'm not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually," Tatum said.
As the 26-year-old star mentioned, the next Olympics are still four years away. Who knows what he'll do by then? But one thing is sure, JT won't be putting on Team USA colors without an assurance of a good role next time around.
Related: “It’s a math problem more than anything”- Steve Kerr addresses why Jayson Tatum received another DNP in the semifinal win over Serbia
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