PARIS — As he made his way out of Bercy Arena late Saturday night, snaking through the postgame interview area known as the mixed zone, Jayson Tatum palmed the newest piece of hardware hanging around his neck. The gold medal he won thanks to Team USA’s 98-87 win over France — his second career gold medal to go with the one he won in Tokyo — holds a pretty cool distinction in that it includes a piece of the Eiffel Tower. What it doesn’t contain for Tatum is much peace of mind, with the Celtics star leaving Paris still wondering what he did wrong to fall so far down coach Steve Kerr’s rotation.
At the tail end of an incredible summer — his first NBA championship, a lucrative new contract extension, the cover of his favorite NBA video game, and now, another gold medal — there’s no chance now of Tatum being complacent. Blame Kerr if Tatum returns as an NBA monster next season. Blame USA Basketball if the Celtics have two ticked-off stars out to prove how wrong these guys were.
When Tatum is paired again with fellow superstar Jaylen Brown, the Finals MVP who couldn’t even make the roster that came to Paris, sparks should fly. Advertisement “I mean, a lot of people texted me and reached out and were like, ‘Make sure this fuels you,’ which I appreciate,” Tatum said. “There’s a lot of people that care about me.
But I think the tough part is, yes, you can use things to fuel you, but, you know, I’m still human, and it’s still a human aspect, part of .