Getty Images Jayson Tatum did not want to discuss Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown being left off the Team USA roster.
Jayson Tatum was not interested in discussing his Boston Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown being left off the Team USA roster for the Olympics.
Brown was not named to the initial squad and was overlooked as a replacement for Kawhi Leonard. Team USA instead added fellow Celtic Derrick White to fill the hole. Brown has been vocal on social media over the snub.
Shortly after White was announced as the replacement, he put up three eyebrow-raised emojis. Brown also called out Nike in a post, writing “Nike this what we doing?” Nike is the main sponsor of USA basketball, and Brown — who reps Adidas — has a complicated history with the brand.
Tatum was asked if he’d spoken to his Celtics co-star and offered a quick response.
“Ah, no,” Tatum said.
Jayson Tatum was asked about whether or not he has spoken to Jaylen Brown, and if it’s hard not having him a part of Team USA 🗣️
He added: “I mean, there’s so many guys that could, you know, take that last spot or whatever.”
Alongside Tatum, Brown helped lead the Celtics to the NBA title, averaging 23.9 points during the regular season. He was named NBA Finals MVP after Boston captured banner No. 18 in June.
Bayless: Tatum, Brown Don’t Get Along
It’s not exactly a strong statement on Tatum in defense of Brown. FS1 talking head Skip Bayless theorized that there may be tension between the two stars.
“[Tatum] is a big Nike guy who just came out with his signature shoe. … This smacks of, it smells like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen [Brown] just don’t really get along,” Bayless said on “Undisputed.” “It feels like, to me, he [Tatum] is saying, ‘Hey, I just need a break. I don’t have to live with him for another month so closely when we go to Paris. I just don’t wanna do this.'”
“This smacks of, it smells like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen just don’t really get along.” – Skip Bayless
The take from Bayless is nothing new. There has been much talk over the years about Tatum’s relationship with Brown. But after winning a title, Tatum reflected on how their dynamic has evolved.
“Over time we had to learn how to coexist with each other. And that’s for anybody. I was 19, he was 20 when I first got to the league,” Tatum said in a recent interview on “7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony & Kid Mero.” “We were still figuring out our personal life. Our family just navigating through this thing called the NBA. With so many expectations of being with Boston and we play on national TV every other night. Like it’s a lot of things that come with that. So we had to learn that we needed each other and we got to a perfect point in our career where he had got his money, I had got mine. We had All-Star and All-NBA selections. Like we wasn’t tripping off that. It was just like, only thing we haven’t done is win a championship.”
Team USA Pushes Back After Leaving Brown Off Roster
Team USA managing director Grant Hill clarified on Wednesday, July 10, that the decision to take White over Brown was not motivated by Nike or any other brand.
“Well, for a good portion of my career, I wore FILA — that was supposed to be a joke,” Hill said before getting more serious. “You have to build a team. And one of the hardest things is leaving people off the roster that I’m a fan of, that I look forward to watching throughout the season, throughout the playoffs. Guys who’ve been Finals MVP, guys who have been a part of the program, guys who’ve won gold medals. Guys who I respect, admire and enjoy watching. … But the responsibility that I have is to put together a team and a team that complements each other.”
It’s an interesting statement from Hill, especially considering that Brown would have played alongside his Celtics teammates Tatum and Jrue Holiday. But Hill also gushed over White, who has been a star in his role with Boston.
“One of the many things that I really love about Derrick, and particularly with this team, is I don’t feel like his role changes much with our team, from what he does with the Celtics,” said Hill. “He plays alongside two incredibly great young players in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.”
Tatum, White and the rest of Team USA will take on Australia in an Olympic warmup on July 15 in Abu Dhabi.
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Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Has 2-Word Message on Jaylen Brown Snub