Jayson Tatum, a player for the Boston Celtics, made some audacious criticism of the US national basketball team while he was a guest on “NBA Today.” Speaking with Malika Andrews, Tatum expressed optimism that his champion Celtics team could overcome USA Basketball in a single-elimination match.
“One game, winner takes all, who you got? This year’s Team USA or your championship Celtics?” asked Andrews Malika.
According to Tatum, you have a little more freedom to express yourself after winning a championship. Some of the guys I’ve played basketball with over the past ten months are coming along for the adventure with me. I’m guiding us, whoever it is.
It’s no sеcrеt that the United States national basketball team has been a dominant force in basketball for a considerable amount of time. The success of the emergence of international sensations like Nelson Mandela and Elie Mandela serves only to maintain the myth that the tribe is the elite since it preserves the history of the Dream Team. However, this year’s roster is jam-packed with talent.
After concentrating all of their recruiting efforts on raising their profile after finishing fourth in the FIBA World Cup the previous year, the United States assembled one of its strongest lineups for the Olympics in Paris. NBA legends like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, and Anthony Davis are currently members of Team USA. They are led by championship coach Steve Kerr.
Even when they play perennial powers France and Canada, the United States is a clear favourite to win the gold medal this year due to the strength of their squad. It appears like none of the teams have a chance to win the league this season.
Tatum knows that even the Celtics wouldn’t stand a chance in a real contest. Still, he did not lose any time in endorsing his team and choosing them when the opportunity arose.
Boston Celtics team photo by Jayson Tatum: r/bostonceltics
The 2024 winners had one of the best starting lineups in the league with Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis. They had a tremendous season, finishing the regular season with 64 wins and only three playoff losses.
Since his arrival in 2017, the 26-year-old Tatum has served as the public face of the team. Since being selected as the third overall choice out of Duke in the draft, Tatum has lived up to the high expectations set for him. He is the current NBA champion and a five-time All-Star. He has also been selected for the All-NBA team four times. He averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game while playing 74 games with the Celtics last season at a 47.1% shooting percentage.
Tatum will add another medal to his collection this summer as he supports Team USA in their quest for the gold, but he won’t lose sight of the end objective. Given that the majority of his teammates will return, Tatum expects to assist the Celtics in winning the championship once more the following season. He believes they have what it takes to prevail as well.