Tag: jayson tatum

Jayson Tatum’s Team USA role wasn’t clearly defined

The Boston Celtics star didn’t have a clear-cut role at the 2024 Paris Olympics under Steve Kerr.

Jayson Tatum had a torrid time at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Steve Kerr benched the Boston Celtics star for two separate games against Serbia and often tasked him with spacing the floor in the corner. As such, Tatum struggled to make the type of impact we had seen from him during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he was the team’s second-best player behind Kevin Durant.

Former NBA star Carmelo Anthony believes Kerr wanted Tatum to fill a similar role to that of Devin Booker: a 3-and-D threat with minimal usage or touches. Anthony also believes that Kerr didn’t verbalize Tatum’s role, making it difficult for the NBA champion to slot into the rotation.

“They wanted him to do what Devin Booker did,” Anthony said during a recent episode of “7 PM in Brooklyn.” “Be a stretch four, space the court, play some defense, get some rebounds that’s it. But if you’re not told what’s your role and you just told to figure it out right now if I get in the game, I’m overthinking like we humans too! Basketball players are human athletes.”

Tatum is one of the most complete players in the NBA. He’s an elite scorer, rebounder, playmaker, and help defender. Being tasked with standing in the corner marginalizes his overall skill set and his role within a team.

Celtics fans should now look forward to the regular season, where their team’s star player will be motivated to remind everyone why he’s still a top-10 player in the world.

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Jayson Tatum and Matthew Tkachuk recreate history

The championship winning duo recreated their viral high school photo during an appearance for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jayson Tatum and Matthew Tkachuk have been friends since they attended Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis. Both of the St. Louis natives have reached the pinnacle of their respective sports in recent years. Tkachuk is a standout performer for the Florida Panthers, while the Boston Celtics forward has become one of the best basketball players on the planet.

On Sunday, Aug. 18, Tatum and Tkachuk were invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitches for the St. Louis Cardinals. During their time together, the pair decided to recreate a viral photo from their high school days that often circulates on social media.

Tatum and Tkachuk won their first championships in their respective sports last season. Interestingly, they achieved that feat just one week apart, with Tatum being the first to draw blood.

Both stars will undoubtedly be looking to repeat their success in the upcoming season and will likely be driving each other forward behind the scenes.

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Duke basketball fans hilariously notice Coach K mid-workout in the background of a photo

Duke basketball shared photos of Grayson Allen’s workout on Monday, but fans (and Jayson Tatum) noticed Coach K mid-bench press in the background.

The Duke basketball social media team just wanted to share some photos of former Blue Devil [autotag]Grayson Allen[/autotag] during a workout. Instead, they got a gem of legendary head coach [autotag]Mike Krzyzewski[/autotag].

Allen returned to Durham for a training session on Monday, working with current Duke coach Jon Scheyer on the court. The team posted some glimpses of his workout on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter), but fans immediately noticed Coach K mid-bench press in the background.

The five-time national champion was moving weight, too. At 77 years old, Krzyzewski had some heavy-looking plates on either side of the bar.

It wasn’t just Duke basketball fans amused by Coach K, either. Duke legend [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag], fresh off his first NBA title and his second Olympic gold medal, shared a laugh about the photo on social media.

“Naw Coach still hitting the bench press he’s an animal,” Tatum said in a post on X.

Michael Cooper says he would cut Jayson Tatum since he hates the Celtics

More than 30 years after retiring from the Lakers, Hall of Famer Michael Cooper still hates the Celtics.

There are very few rivalries in sports that truly rile people up on a massive scale, even those who would seem perfectly neutral. There are the New York Yankees versus the Boston Red Sox, the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Boston Celtics.

The Lakers-Celtics rivalry was at its best in the mid-1980s when the two teams met in the NBA Finals three times in a four-year span. Hall of Fame Lakers wing Michael Cooper was a central character back then, as he was tasked with guarding Celtics legend Larry Bird and did so as well as anyone.

On his “Showtime” podcast, Cooper was asked who he would start, bench and cut among Jayson Tatum, Scottie Pippen and James Worthy. He said he would start Pippen, the six-time NBA champion, and bench Worthy, his former Lakers teammate and fellow Hall of Famer.

That leaves Tatum, whom Cooper would bench. Cooper said he would do it because of his hatred for the Celtics, although he admitted Tatum is a very good player.

“I’m starting Scottie Pippen and I’m benching Worthy and I’m cutting Tatum… I’m hating on the Celtics. No, Tatum is a hell of a player, I’ve got to give him that. You know, that’s a tough three. All of them are good players.”

Team loyalties aside, it’s easy to see why one would feel the way Cooper did. Pippen was one of the greatest defensive players in basketball history who also scored a consistent 18-20 points a game and was one of the NBA’s first “point forwards.” Meanwhile, Worthy would often play above his standards in big games, especially in the NBA Finals against the Celtics and Detroit Pistons.

While Tatum is a bona fide star, he has a habit of underperforming on the big stage. When the Celtics won it all in June, he shot just 38.8% from the field in the championship series while Jaylen Brown took home the Finals MVP award.

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum looks back on when the Los Angeles Lakers passed on him in the NBA draft

The Celtics star grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant and L.A.

Boston Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum grew up a fan of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. He modeled his game on his future friend and mentor’s as he made his way to the NBA from the NCAA ranks at Duke.

But when it came time for the team he grew up dreaming about joining to make their pick on Tatum’s draft night arrived, the Lakers instead went with now-Chicago Bull Lonzo Ball. As did the Philadelphia 76ers, who traded their No. 3 pick and another first for the Celtics top pick.

“The Lakers were my favorite team, and Kobe was my favorite player,” said the St. Louis native in a recent interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Elizabeth Merrill. “So it was crazy that the Lakers had the second pick, and I was so close to a dream come true. But it was just like they didn’t want anything to do with me at the time.”

“After my workout (with Boston), I remember one of the (Celtics’) scouts came up to me and said, ‘That was a great workout. I’m excited for you. But we’ve got the No. 1 pick, so we’re not going to pick you,'” Tatum joked.

“He still works for the Celtics now, so I (expletive) with him all the time.”

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Paul Pierce revisits his, Jayson Tatum’s iconic Boston Celtics passing-of-the-torch moment

You know the moment, now hear the story.

Few players are more beloved to fans of the Boston Celtics than Hall of Fame small forward Paul Pierce. He once famously had a passing-of-the-torch moment with one of the most popular contemporary members of the Celtics, All-Star forward Jayson Tatum.

Tatum has a long way to go to match the career of a Celtics legend like The Truth or (in the video embedded below) his fellow Boston alumnus and Hall of Famer Cedric Maxwell. But the parallels and talent in the St. Louis native’s game are already evident, while continues to expand.

To hear Pierce talk about that iconic courtside exchange, check out said clip provided courtesy of CLNS Media’s “NBA History and Legends on CLNS” Instagram channel.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CWRF7gqp7PF/?utm_medium=copy_link

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

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Tatum’s Olympic struggles rest with Steve Kerr trusting his guys

Steve Kerr stuck with players he trusts and has familiarity with, leaving Jayson Tatum on the outside of the rotation.

Steve Kerr was criticized for sitting Jayson Tatum in both of Team USA’s games against Serbia during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Boston Celtics star also struggled in a marginalized role for Kerr’s team, as he was often tasked with standing in the corner and spacing the floor.

According to an NBA executive who spoke with Heavy On Sport’s Steve Bulpett under the condition of anonymity, Kerr’s choices were likely down to him sticking with players he has worked with previously or valued within his brand of basketball. The executive pointed to Kevin Durant and Steph Curry as prime examples.

“We pick a coach to coach the team, and it’s all about who he wants to play,” The executive said. “You know, players have to prove to the coach that they deserve to play, period…And, by the way, two of the players that were the primary players — [Steph] Curry and [Kevin] Durant, have won multiple championships for the head coach. So I think that if Joe Mazzulla was the head coach, then maybe Jayson Tatum’s playing the whole game.”

Kerr ultimately led Team USA to a gold medal. As such, his decision-making has been justified to the wider basketball fanbase. Nevertheless, his utilization of Tatum remains a questionable aspect of his time in Paris.

Tatum will get an opportunity to earn some payback against Kerr when the Celtics face the Golden State Warriors on November 6.

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Jayson Tatum could dunk in chain mail armor even before he joined the Boston Celtics

We’re still not sure why they really needed to put this to the test, though. Maybe they’d lost the ankle weights?

We should have known Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum was destined for greatness when he showed us how he could still flush the rock while wearing a suit of armor.

He was a not yet drafted prospect out of Duke at the time of his appearance  in an ESPN “Sports Science” segment. In it, the St. Louis native dunked basketballs while quite literally going medieval on the rim. Tatum even managed a pretty impressive if labored dunk in a full set of chain mail armor created to “test the limits” of the former Blue Devil’s posterization skills.

Now we know that even in an alternate reality that might have had Tatum playing ball in protective gear after ye jousting tournament wouldn’t have hindered his leaping enough to keep him from dunking on hapless pages named Deuce.

In all seriousness, keep your basketball addiction fed with this quirky trip down memory lane while we wait for training camp and preseason to arrive this Fall.

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Where does Boston’s Jayson Tatum rank in the NBA?

Is Jayson Tatum a top-10 player in the NBA? What about top-5 or top-3? Where does the Boston Celtics superstar rank?

Jayson Tatum is unquestionably a top-10 player in the NBA. Last season, he emerged as one of the most complete players in the world as he helped lead the Boston Celtics to the 18th championship in franchise history. Tatum has become an elite playmaker, rebounder and multi-level scorer.

Nevertheless, Tatum isn’t the only elite talent in the NBA. Countless stars are pushing to be ranked within the top 10 players in the league. As such, the offseason is a great opportunity to begin seeing where each player sits in the league-wide hierarchy ahead of a new season.

In the latest episode of the “How ‘Bout Them Celtics” podcast, hosts Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance are joined by Oliver Fox of CelticsBlog to dissect Tatum’s game and decide where he sits among his peers heading into a new season. Of course, adding a championship ring to his resume can’t have hurt.

You can watch the full episode by clicking on the embedded video above.

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Will Team USA’s snubs set up a revenge tour for star Boston Celtics forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown?

With the Celtics returning intact and a shared sense of urgency, both stars are poised to reclaim their status among the league’s elite.

Will the snubs from Team USA ahead of and at the 2024 Paris Olympics set up a revenge tour for star Boston Celtics forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown? In this episode of the CLNS Media “Big 3 NBA” podcast, the hosts dive into the implications of Tatum’s limited role with Team USA during the Olympics and how it could spark a revenge tour for him and Brown.

Despite the team’s success, Tatum’s minimal contributions have left him looking disrespected, and analysts believe this will fuel his determination to prove his worth on the court. With the Celtics returning intact and a shared sense of urgency, both stars are poised to dominate and reclaim their status among the league’s elite.

Join the hosts as they explore how Tatum’s experiences could transform him into a more vocal leader and what this means for the Celtics’ championship aspirations. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about revenge tour potential next season.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

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