Tom Brady Defends Jayson Tatum Following Olympic Benching

After the Boston Celtics won the NBA title, star forward Jayson Tatum was at the top of the world. After all, he just helped the team win its NBA record 18th championship and the first of his career.

But only a few weeks later, Tatum found himself in the middle of a lot of drama while a member of Team USA at the Olympics. Tatum was benched in two separate incidents during the Olympic Games, sparking a lot of controversy around basketball circles.

More news: Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Breaks Silence About Team USA Benching During Olympics

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr took a lot of criticism for his decision, coming from former players and even Tatum’s mom. But the five-time All-Star never let the benching get to him and helped the Americans win the gold medal.

Multiple people have praised Tatum for how he handled himself throughout the entire process. Now, NFL legend Tom Brady weighed in on the benching of Tatum, crediting the star forward for his selflessness.

“A true professional! A true champion! And a great teammate! We should celebrate people who care more about the team success than the individual success,” Brady said in the Instagram comment section of a post about Tatum. “There are so many people involved in every organization who don’t always play a ‘starting’ role but play a huge role in the success of the team. I have more respect for Jayson Tatum now more than ever! now this is what we should be teaching our kids!”

Brady knows a thing or two about winning, having won seven Super Bowls during his historic NFL career.

The decision by Kerr to bench Tatum was a confusing one, to say the least. Tatum is seen by many as one of the best players in the NBA today so benching him came as a surprise. Luckily for Kerr, Team USA did win the gold, otherwise, the benching of Tatum would have been an even bigger story.

While many people argued that Tatum should have played more for Team USA, former Celtics star Kevin Garnett went in a different direction. He said it was good that Tatum got to rest more than coming off the NBA title win.

“It was great that he didn’t have to play a lot of minutes, man,” said Garnett. “He’s coming off of the Finals. … I’m glad they didn’t need Jayson Tatum. I’m glad he got to actually rest and chill. … When you win, you get a shortened season, while every body else gets four, five months off.”

Tatum has said that this summer was a lot for him but he had one of the most successful spans in recent memory. He is a champion and nobody can ever take that away from him.

More news: Jayson Tatum’s Mom Calls Team USA Benching ‘Unnacceptable’