Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum’s Olympic experience was unusual, including missing every game and jump shot he took. Still, Tatum said it was a positive experience despite the challenges.
“I wasn’t depressed. I didn’t have a bad attitude. I wasn’t mad at the world,” Tatum said. “I prepared myself, I did what was asked of me and I won a gold medal, right?”
Tatum also acknowledged that he missed every jump shot he took, but suggested that was because he was out of rhythm.
“I didn’t make any jump shots when I was on the U.S. national team. I don’t know, it’s the law of averages,” Tatum said. “When you’re on the U.S. national team, you’re in a weird rhythm. You don’t know when you’re going to get the ball. But it’s part of being a team. I’ve done it before (at the Tokyo Olympics), so I just buy into that sort of thing.”
Tatum said he hasn’t lost confidence in his shot and isn’t dealing with any injuries. After a poor shooting performance in the playoffs, the Celtics star said he’s learned that sometimes things don’t go according to plan.
“I’ve won two gold medals now and I’ve won a championship. Things don’t always go the way you expect them to, you know?,” Tatum said. “I’ve come to think, ‘OK, this is part of life.’ I’m just going to move on and enjoy these last few weeks before the season starts and get ready for next season.”
