Breaking down the whole Jayson Tatum situation on Team USA at the Paris Olympics

While being on Team USA should be considered a privilege, Jayson Tatum’s fan image has been somewhat tarnished. As most of the basketball community should be aware, Tatum and the Celtics finally got the job done this offseason and won an NBA Championship. Not only did he sign a supermax contract, JT was one of the few players selected to represent Team USA at the Paris Olympics.

Although Tatum didn’t win the Finals MVP award or live up to expectations throughout the series against the Mavericks, many still consider him one of the top players in the league. However, the way he’s been treated on the Team USA roster is another issue entirely and needs a better look.

Kevin Durant replaces Jayson Tatum on the roster

Considering Jayson Tatum is listed at 6’9, he will play the same position on the court as Kevin Durant for Team USA. Although the Celtic star was given plenty of game time during the exhibition games, he did not see any action in the group stage opener against Serbia.

Since Kevin Durant made an impressive comeback to lead Team USA to victory, one can understand why Tatum had to play fewer minutes. However, having those minutes reduced to nothing was something fans didn’t see coming. Even Steve Kerr said he felt stupid leaving Tatum out of the lineup and he won’t make the same mistake again.

Team USA played South Sudan for their second group stage game and blew them out. Although Tatum had a chance to start this game, he struggled to score and finished the night with just 4 points. Although Jason may be feeling down about his poor performance, he seems to have plenty of support this time around.

Kendrick Perkins claims Team USA embarrassed and disrespected Jayson Tatum

Kendrick Perkins is a former star who became a member of the media after his career ended. Since Perkins won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, he has been quite supportive of Tatum and the Celtics. As a result, Kendrick was quite vocal when it was revealed that Tatum had quit the entire game.

Big Perk went so far as to claim that Team USA embarrassed and disrespected Tatum by not giving him any time on the court. Given that the game against Serbia was nowhere near the final stage, Steve Kerr should have considered sending Tatum out for a while.

Regardless, all of Team USA’s stars are well aware of the fact that they need to put aside their egos and become role players to help the team succeed.