Sadly for Jayson Tatum, everyone won’t be able to see him and his fresh new haircut in the USA’s first match against Serbia in Paris in 2024. Former Celtics assistant coach Evan Turner had mainly made fun of Tatum’s actions.
The 35-year-old, who hasn’t been doing much lately, posted a tweet at X, making a joke that undoubtedly refers to Tatum’s DNP status on the USA’s first 2024 Olympic game. He also made fun of Tatum’s haircut, which he had made before arriving late at the USA’s training camp.
“I wish I would cut my hair for the Olympics and you don’t play me,” Turner posts.
I wish I would cut my hair for the Olympics and you don’t play me
— Evan Turner (@thekidet) July 28, 2024
The players made fun of the 2020 Tokyo gold medalist’s haircut, even for his co-Celtics star Jaylen Brown. His late appearance even made it more goofy.
Team USA has yet to deploy Jayson Tatum at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The team never needed the recent NBA champion in the nation’s first match against Serbia. Nevertheless, the USA decimated the European country in a horrifying 110-84 match, thanks to crucial veterans such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
The Celtics’ power forward, who Team USA had selected for the current Olympiad, had performed poorly in the team’s exhibition games. Tatum missed the chance to train with his teammates for personal reasons. He only averaged 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in the five pre-Olympic games, making him a starter in two.
The potential of Jayson Tatum and how it could affect the current Olympics
The absence of the five-time NBA All-Star remained a shocking source of confusion among Americans. Jayson Tatum’s impressive performances are worth the mention. He averaged 26.9 points and 4.9 assists in 74 games, with the assists even being his highest APG in his career.
Jayson Tatum had already won a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He was a significant factor for Team USA then, being the team’s second-highest scorer to Kevin Durant. The 26-year-old power forward proved he can play for the Olympics, given his past experiences.
As Team USA continues its Paris campaign, Kerr might give Jayson a chance to at least play on the court.
However, it seems that Steve Kerr, head coach of Team USA, won’t be planning to deploy Tatum to the frontlines. In a controversial interview, the Warriors coach said he recognizes Tatum’s potential. Still, he feels like the Celtics star won’t be able to display his potential in future matches, so he’ll stay off Team USA’s bench.
For more NBA content:
Follow me on X at @ErnestLeo, and follow us at @HardwoodHeroics. You can also reach out to Ernest Hernandez via email at ernestleo@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest NBA news, click here!
Ernest also handles a YouTube account called Sports On Air, which has over 102 thousand subscribers. The channel contains interviews predominantly from the Philippine Basketball Association. They can be reached through sportsonairph@gmail.com.
