In a chat on ‘NBA Today’ Celtics star Jayson Tatum had a bold take on Team USA. Speaking with Malika Andrews, Tatum said that his championship Celtics team could beat USA basketball in a single-elimination game.
Malika Andrews: “One game, winner take all, who you got: this year’s Team USA or your championship Celtics?”
Tatum: “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.”
https://twitter.com/OhYesHeDid24/status/1810765194043478042
It’s no secret that Team USA had been lacking in star power over the years and the rise of international talents like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid was helping to spread the narrative that Team USA has fallen off from the days of the Dream Team. This year, however, the roster is absolutely stacked.
After the U.S. finished fourth at the FIBA World Cup last year, they put all their effort into recruitment for the Paris Olympics and it resulted in one of their strongest rosters to date. Right now, Team USA includes legends such as Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, and Kawhi Leonard, among others. They are being led by championship coach Steve Kerr.
With a team that stacked, it’s no surprise that the U.S. is considered heavy favorites to win the gold this year, even against juggernauts like Canada and France. It’s hard to see how any team can beat them this year.
Even a team like the Celtics would have no chance in a real game, and Tatum knows that. Of course, it didn’t stop him from talking up his team anyway and he quickly chose them when given the option.
The 2024 champions have the best rosters in the league and arguably one of the best starting-five lineups in modern NBA history with Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis. They finished the regular season with 64 wins and only lost three times in the playoffs this year.
Tatum, 26, has been the face of the franchise since he first arrived back in 2017. As the third overall pick out of Duke, expectations were high for Tatum from the very beginning but he’s managed to live up to them so far as a 5x All-Star, 4x All-NBA player, and reigning NBA champion. Through 74 games for the Celtics last season, he averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game on 47.1% shooting.
As he helps Team USA go for the gold this summer, Tatum will add yet another accolade to his trophy case but he will not take his eyes off the grand prize. With most of his teammates set to return next season, Tatum has ambitions of winning the title again and he trusts that the Celtics have enough to get the job done.
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