After the United States of America beat France in the Olympic final, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics said: ‘Jay of the Gold Medal’
Jayson Tatum (10) of the United States celebrates a three-point goal by a teammate during the men’s basketball semifinal game versus
Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Saitama, Japan, on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. (Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo) AP
Despite all of the rumblings and concerns about USA Basketball’s squad and chemistry, the Americans eventually won. After beating France 87-82 on Friday in Tokyo, the United States men’s national team was awarded their fourth consecutive gold medal.
While Kevin Durant added to his Olympic legacy by winning his third gold medal, he also set the all-time men’s scoring record for the United States. The overwhelming majority of the players received their first piece of gold hardware. Jayson Tatum of the Celtics, for example, was eager to celebrate the win on Twitter after the game.
“From St. Louis to Tokyo…” Tatum expressed himself on Twitter. “There’s a lot to be happy about! Please call me ‘Gold Medal Jay’ when you see me! ”
Tatum came off the bench at the Olympic games and was not a starter. However, he played a key role in a few high-profile performances.
While Tatum didn’t receive much playing time in the first half of the games, USA coach Gregg Popovich let him loose in the fourth quarter. That’s when Tatum started working.
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While France was putting together a comeback, Tatum’s 19 points and seven rebounds were crucial for Team USA. He played 21 minutes and had a plus-12 rating, which was the most on the squad.
Tatum’s and first-year C’s coach Ime Udoka’s tenure with USA Basketball came to an end with the win. It was a turbulent journey at times, with the Americans dropping three games, but they managed to pull off the gold-medal run.
The Celtics’ next step will be training camp, followed by the start of the season. After Udoka and Tatum spent several weeks in Japan, it’s possible that some additional chemistry was added to the bottom line.
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Celtics’ Jayson Tatum after USA Basketball’s Olympics final game win over France: ‘Gold Medal Jay’
