Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Reflects on ‘Crazy Summer’ He’s Experienced

Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum has had a summer that most professional basketball players don’t ever get to experience. First, he helped lead Boston to its NBA-leading 18th championship. Then, a few weeks later, he was suiting up for Team USA to help them win the gold medal at the Olympics.

Tatum succeeded in helping the Americans claim the gold medal but his run at the Olympics came with some drama. He was benched in two separate incidents throughout the tournament, leading to a lot of criticism being thrown toward Team USA head coach Steve Kerr.

Read more: Celtics Hall of Famer Annihilates Steve Kerr for Team USA Jayson Tatum Benching

Many in basketball regard Tatum as a top player in the NBA, possibly within the top five, so the decision to bench him was a little controversial. But Tatum pushed through all the adversity and helped his country claim the ultimate prize.

While speaking with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Celtics forward reflected on the summer he has had. He called it “crazy” to describe how everything has gone for himself.

“It’s been a crazy summer. Fortunate enough to win my second Olympic gold medal on the national team. That was a hell of an experience. Finally won an NBA championship… that was special.”

Being benched just a few months after being the No. 1 player on a championship-winning team couldn’t have been easy. But the five-time All-Star decided to keep his composure for the betterment of the team.

He only played 11 minutes in the gold medal-clinching game against France and averaged just 17.7 minutes per game at the Olympics. But no matter how it happened, Tatum can forever say that he is a gold medalist after this summer.

Alongside fellow Celtics teammates, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, the trio became the first-ever group of players to win both an NBA title and a gold medal at the Olympics in the same calendar year. It has been an incredible yet interesting run for Tatum over the last few months but he seems to only be getting better.

If anything, the experiences from this summer could be used to motivate him for the future. Tatum likely will want to prove that he shouldn’t have been benched at the Olympics and what better way than to simply dominate in the NBA?

Boston will be looking to be the first repeat champions in the NBA since the Golden State Warriors in the 2017-2018 season. With Tatum at the helm, along with a good core of players, the Celtics are likely the favorites entering the 2024-25 NBA season.

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