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Jayson Tatum’s ‘storm’ continues as he chases Olympic gold

Jayson Tatum’s ‘storm’ continues as he chases Olympic gold

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PARIS – The U.S. men’s 5×5 basketball team needs Jayson Tatum.

Coach Steve Kerr made that clear immediately after benching Tatum in the opening win over Serbia at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Tatum’s benching dominated a news cycle, but he handled it like a pro. “This isn’t about one player,” Tatum said. “There’s a part of you that wants to play competitively, obviously, but I’m not here to create a story and make it about me.

“It’s definitely a humbling experience, right? Win a championship, a new contract, the cover of (NBA) 2K and then sit out a whole game. There’s a lot you can learn from me, right? You’re frustrated because you want to play competitively, but maybe you can have some empathy for some of the guys on my team who don’t always get to play or get minutes.”

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Tatum, who did not play in the Serbia match, was in the starting 11 and had his best performance in the group’s final match against Puerto Rico with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals.

“Obviously he’s a talented guy and the FIBA ​​game is different for everybody,” Kerr said. “All these guys are used to taking 20 shots a game and so everybody has to adjust a little bit and Jayson did a great job of trying to adjust and contribute in different ways than he’s used to and I thought he did really well (against Puerto Rico).”

He was aggressive and active on rebounds, and Team USA faces a rebounding battle against Brazil in a quarterfinal matchup on Tuesday (3:30 p.m. ET). The winner will play the winner of Serbia-Australia in the semifinals on Thursday.

In the three group games, Brazil had the most offensive rebounds per game, with 13.

“It all starts with defense and rebounding,” Kerr said. “I’m not really interested in offense, just taking care of the ball, getting our spaces right. We’re playing from our defense, that’s for sure. It’s important to focus on maintaining that identity now that you’re in a different phase.

“We’re playing the best teams right now and defense, defense, defense. A big part of that is rebounding and getting the ball. Brazil is going to try to crush us on the glass. They’re going to send a bunch of guys out there trying to crush us and get offensive rebounds and shoot threes, that kind of thing. You’ve got to be ready for the physicality.”

Brazilian big men Bruno Caboclo and Cristiano Felicio, both former NBA players, average 3.7 and 2.3 offensive rebounds, respectively, while guard-forward Gui Santos, who plays for Kerr’s Golden State Warriors team, has an offensive rebound average of 2.0.

Sure, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, LeBron James and Kevin Durant will need to rebound, but Tatum could make a difference.

“People would say I’ve been an above-average rebounder the last couple years,” Tatum said. “I’m just trying to make an impact on this team. Being 6-9 is an advantage I bring when I’m on the floor. Just be there and be me.”

It’s been a big year for Tatum. He won a championship with Boston in June, signed a five-year, $315 million maximum extension with the Celtics and joined the Olympic team shortly after.

“It was a whirlwind,” Tatum said. “Winning an NBA championship — it was 10 times better than I thought it would be. You work so hard to achieve a goal. The fact that we failed a couple of times made it that much sweeter. I’m still savoring it. I’m enjoying it. It’s a great feeling to be a champion.”

Now, he’s three wins away from winning the gold medal and will join Celtics and Olympic teammates Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, who were NBA champions and gold medalists in the same year.

The Olympics may not have started the way he wanted. “You want to play as a competitor, but I don’t hold a grudge,” Tatum said.

But it could end the way he wants: with a second gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“You never know when you’re going to step on the field,” Tatum said. “The most important thing is that we win. That’s all that matters.”

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