Tatum's Frustration Boils Over: Warriors Beware Next Season!

In the wake of Team USA's gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics, Jayson Tatum made headlines with a cryptic move on social media. Tatum reposted a tweet from a popular influencer that read, "We will avenge Tatum," only to quickly delete it. This sudden action has left many questioning whether the Celtics star is truly satisfied with his Olympic experience.

Tatum has previously admitted that this year's Olympics were a "humbling" experience for him. Despite helping Team USA secure gold, his journey through the tournament was far from what he had hoped for. In the six games played, Tatum was listed as "Did Not Play" (DNP) for two and had less-than-stellar performances in the other four. His Olympic stats tell the story:

• Group Stage vs. Serbia: DNP
• Group Stage vs. South Sudan: 17 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists
• Group Stage vs. Puerto Rico: 23 minutes, 10 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
• Quarterfinal vs. Brazil: 20 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
• Semifinal vs. Serbia: DNP
• Final vs. France: 11 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds

In the four games he did play, Tatum averaged 17.7 minutes on the court, with 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, shooting 38.1% from the field. He went 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.

This performance was a far cry from the expectations surrounding Tatum after a summer in which he secured his first NBA championship and signed a historic $315 million contract extension over five years. By any measure, Tatum was the most accomplished player on this Team USA roster. He was also a key contributor during the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, where he averaged 15.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game, shooting 49.3% from the field and 44.7% from three-point range.

Given this pedigree, it’s no surprise that Tatum's multiple DNPs in Paris sparked outrage, not just from fans but from his own family. Tatum's parents publicly questioned Coach Steve Kerr's decision-making. His mother took to social media, writing, "Tatum isn't injured. If anyone knows what's going on, please tell me. Being DNP'd is unacceptable and completely unjustified."

While Tatum is undoubtedly a great player, his limited role on this Team USA can be understood. First, this squad had no shortage of height, with multiple star forwards like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, whose skill sets overlap with Tatum's but are more refined and tested. If defense was needed, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis were more versatile options.

Secondly, Tatum's on-court performance was, frankly, underwhelming. For instance, in the quarterfinal game against Brazil, Tatum played 20 minutes but only made 1 of 5 shots, finishing with 5 points in a game that Team USA won handily.

But perhaps the bigger issue lies with Coach Kerr. His explanation for Tatum's benching as a "numbers game" doesn't sit well with many. Kerr's rotations were head-scratching, often sticking to a rigid 10-man rotation regardless of game context. This approach, while it may have worked in the end, owed much to the heavy lifting by the likes of Curry, Durant, and LeBron. Had things gone differently, Kerr might have found himself bearing the blame.

Kerr’s penchant for playing three guards at once didn’t help Tatum’s cause either. With stars like Curry, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker commanding backcourt minutes, Tatum, whose role on this team was less defined, became the odd man out.

On the bright side, Tatum did walk away with a gold medal, making him just the third player in history to win an NBA championship, be named to an All-NBA First Team, and earn an Olympic gold medal in the same year, joining the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Still, this gold medal likely isn’t the one Tatum envisioned. Of all the players on this Team USA roster, only two were DNP'd in at least two games—Tyrese Haliburton, the team's "mascot," and Tatum.

For Tatum, this summer has been a mix of triumph and frustration. While he added a championship ring to his resume, he fell short of winning the Finals MVP. He won a gold medal but did so in a way that felt more like a consolation prize than a crowning achievement.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to hard truth: Tatum’s skills, as impressive as they are, just aren’t at the level of LeBron, Durant, or Curry. If they were, not even Coach Kerr would dare to bench him. Instead of letting this frustration fester, Tatum would do well to focus on elevating his game to new heights—winning an MVP, for instance, would be a good start.

As they say, "When you bloom, the butterflies will come." With that mindset, there’s much to look forward to next season. The Celtics and Warriors will face off again, and all eyes will be on Tatum. Will he prove his critics wrong? The stakes will be high, and the show will be unmissable.