Celtics Olympic Snubs Could Make Defending Champs Even More Dangerous

In any sport, a revenge tour usually kicks off before a team wins a championship. A group comes close to the mountaintop but falls short.

Then, they're out for revenge the following year.

The Boston Celtics had one of the most dominant seasons in NBA history in 2023-24. They ended the year by winning the championship that had eluded the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown -led version of the franchise since 2017-18.

The Celtics should have been able to celebrate their title, go on vacation and return for training camp preparing to win another Larry O'Brien Trophy.

That's not at all what happened.

Brown was snubbed from the Team USA squad that won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games—twice.

Tatum, as the best player on a championship team and one of the 10 best in the NBA , was a lock for Team USA. He made the squad but was an afterthought who didn't even get off the bench in two of the six games.

This may be the rare, perhaps never-before-seen case of a revenge tour that comes after a title.

Instead of further cementing their status as NBA champions and two of the best players in the league, Brown and Tatum will likely be out to prove the doubters wrong for the second straight year.

And that could make a team already well-prepared to become the first back-to-back champions since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors even more dangerous.

Jayson Tatum Was a Team USA Afterthought at the Olympics

It was even called a conspiracy

Tatum played a grand total of 71 minutes at the Olympics. He attempted 21 shots and six free throws. He averaged 5.3 points and 5.3 rebounds.

He was 11th out of 12 players in minutes played and games played and 10th in shot attempts and total points.

All this to say that Tatum was not a featured player under Team USA head coach Steve Kerr, despite being more accomplished at the same position as Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards .

The media had plenty to say about Tatum's absence.

The Celtics duo are victims of a conspiracy, according to former NBA players Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford.

Charles Barkley called out Kerr in particular during an appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show (h/t Complex).

Victor Wembanyama certainly would have something to say about Barkley's France take, but the point has been made: As one of the league's top superstars, Tatum should have gotten more of an opportunity to contribute.

He joined elite company after winning gold, but is certainly the odd man out in said company.

Jaylen Brown Was Passed Over Twice

The Finals MVP got snubbed again

Brown helped his team win the 2023-24 title and was named Finals MVP for his efforts. He averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals last season. He was worth a career-high 3.4 defensive win shares.

Yet he wasn't named to any of the three All-NBA teams.

Then, he was, somewhat understandably, absent from the Olympic team.

What's less understandable, though, is that when Kawhi Leonard removed himself from Team USA, Brown wasn't in the running to replace him despite being a similar player. Leonard's spot immediately went to Brown's teammate, Derrick White.

Brown obviously wasn't pumped about the situation and called out Nike for having something to do with his snub. He gave his support to his teammate, but being overlooked for two attainable honors has to irk the 27-year-old.

The Boston Celtics Could Use the Fuel

Tatum and Brown have even more to prove

Tatum was worthy of more minutes, and Brown was arguably worthy of making Team USA on either his first or second chance.

White and Boston teammate Jrue Holiday played key roles in the US's run to gold. Their experience as part of a team with basketball legends could bring them back to Boston even wiser and more prepared to defend the Celtics' title.

Kristaps Porzingis only played seven games during last year's playoffs and should recover from a foot injury.

That group makes up Boston's starting five, which led a historic franchise to a historic season and a historic title.

With a chip on their shoulders, Brown and Tatum could be out for revenge and even more dominant than last season. The NBA should be on notice.