Since the Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA title, forward Jayson Tatum has been listening to that short, three-word greeting. Furthermore, it sounds much more wonderful to hear that honorific from your renowned USA Basketball teammates.
Tatum said to Andscape, “The guys who have won championships understand the feeling, what it’s like, and what it takes.” “They ask me, ‘What’s up, champ?’ whenever they see me. Hearing something from your peers is undoubtedly beneficial.
More basketball mileage and a short offseason are two additional benefits of being an NBA champion heading to the Olympics, which Tatum calls a “great problem to have” when competing for USA Basketball in Paris.
Tatum played 35.7 minutes per game in 74 regular-season games for the Celtics last season and was fourth in the NBA in minutes played (768.4). The 26-year-old also played a team-high 40.4 minutes per game in 19 postseason games en route to the title. The Celtics won the 2024 NBA championship on June 17.
On July 7, USA Basketball started their Olympic preparations in Las Vegas. According to Grant Hill, managing director of USA Basketball, Tatum was allowed to go on July 8 for personal reasons, to rest, and to sign his massive new five-year, $313 million contract. Tatum scored eight points in 17 minutes off the bench in the USA’s 86-72 exhibition victory over Canada on July 10 in Las Vegas, following two workouts. Monday in Abu Dhabi, in 21 minutes as a starter, Tatum finished with seven points, five assists, and four rebounds in a 98-92 exhibition victory over Australia.
