Jayson Tatum said he communicated with Joe Mazzulla through much of his latest Olympic experience — as public conversation turned to the NBA star’s benching for multiple games during the tournament this summer — and the Boston Celtics coach was delighted with the decision.
“I talked to Joe a lot,” Tatum said at the Celtics’ media day Tuesday. “Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win Finals MVP and I didn’t play in two of the games at the Olympics. That was odd. But if you know Joe, it makes sense.”
Jayson Tatum: “I talked to Joe a lot. Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win Finals MVP and I didn’t play in two of the games at the Olympics. That was odd. But if you know Joe, it makes sense.”
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) September 24, 2024
Tatum didn’t play in Team USA’s opener or the semifinal game, both against Serbia, as the U.S. men went on their run to a fifth straight gold medal, which marked Tatum’s second consecutive gold. He previously addressed the benching, but added Tuesday that he’s “a believer that everything does happen for a reason.”
“It’s one of those things where there’s been so much talk and debate,” Tatum previously told The Athletic, “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.”
This will be updated.
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(Photo: Maddie Malhotra / Getty Images)
