Jayson Tatum has his eyes on being remembered as one of the all-time greats to pick up a basketball, as he told Fadeaway World ahead of Team USA's pre-Olympic exhibition games in Abu Dhabi. Tatum is an NBA Champion and Olympic Gold medallist but wants to add more accolades to his resume to be remembered as an all-time great.
"Yeah, it's a sense of relief that I have done it at the highest level. It's bittersweet because now, I want to do it again. I want to achieve more and continue climbing the ladder of being one of the greats, so I'm looking forward to the road ahead."
With the 2024 NBA Championship win with the Celtics, Tatum has essentially achieved the biggest motivator for most NBA players. A title is what everyone wants, but Tatum and the Celtics are in a position to build a dynasty with the strength of their team. They have one of the most expensive starting fives in NBA history, with three of their starters playing for Team USA at the Olympics.
Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists last season, being named to the All-NBA First Team. While he lost out on the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP to teammate Jaylen Brown, Tatum could add a second Gold medal to his resume in Paris.
Jayson Tatum Thinks The 2024 Celtics Would Beat Team USA
Tatum is surrounded by some of the greatest players of all time with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant leading the 2024 Team USA. His 2024 Celtics squad was statistically one of the greatest squads in NBA history, which prompted him to make the bold claim that this year's Celtics would beat Team USA if they faced off.
"You know what when you win a championship it gives you a little room to say what you want and say how you feel. I'm riding with the guys that I just played 10 months of basketball with... I'm taking us against whoever.”
Realistically, it's hard to agree with Tatum just due to the difference in quality. There are three Celtics in Team USA with the reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown not in there. Brown would definitely be motivated to impress the Team USA selectors who overlooked him for the national team.
The Celtics squad also is better-suited in terms of team construction, with off-ball pests like White and Holiday, along with sweet-shooting bigs like Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. However, the sheer talent on Team USA would overwhelm the Celtics, so I would have to disagree with Tatum's assertion.
