Jaylen Brown sidesteps question on Jayson Tatum's DNPs and lack of playing time with Team USA in Olympics
Reigning NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown has spoken out for the first time about his Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum's lack of playing time with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Tatum won his second Olympic gold medal in Paris but the five-time All-Star's limited playing time, including two DNPs against Serbia, sparked a widespread debate.
Brown, who was left off Team USA's 12-member roster for the Summer Games despite winning the NBA Finals MVP award, was initially hesitant to discuss Tatum's situation.
In a video shared by the Boston Celtics reporter Noa Dalzell, Brown spoke with NBC Sports Bay Area and CA during the launch of the Oakland XChange initiative on Tuesday.
When asked to comment on Tatum's DNPs with Team USA in the Olympics, Brown said:
"I don't have any comments right now. I'm focused on the Oakland XChange, and I'm excited about that. Jayson will be fine. Jayson Tatum will be fine."
In the recently concluded Olympics, Tatum played in two group stage games, the quarterfinal and the gold medal game. The reigning NBA champion received zero minutes when Team USA squared off against Serbia in its campaign opener and later in the semifinal.
In the games that Tatum played, he came off the bench. The 26-year-old averaged 17.7 minutes and 5.3 points in four games and shot 0-of-4 from the 3-point range.
Steve Kerr on Jayson Tatum's DNPs
Team USA coach Steve Kerr faced significant criticism after choosing to give Tatum a DNP in the semifinal against Serbia. After LeBron James and Co. registered a comeback win over Nikola Jokic's team in the semifinal, Kerr provided a lengthy explanation on Tatum's lack of game time.
"It’s not what I’m not seeing from Jayson; it’s what I’ve seen from the other guys," Kerr had said.
"Like I’ve said many times during this tournament and the last six weeks, it’s just hard to play 11 people, even in an NBA game," he added.
Additionally, Kerr attributed Tatum's DNPs and limited playing time to a "math problem," particularly due to Kevin Durant's return from injury.
"So it’s not about what Jayson is doing or not doing," Kerr continued.
"It’s just about combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin (Durant) has filled in since he came back from his injury. It’s just a math problem more than anything," the Golden State Warriors coach added.
After the winning the gold medal, the Boston Celtics forward admitted that the Paris Games was a "tough personal experience" for him.