Tyrese Haliburton got blasted for not worthy of Olympic Gold, cue Jayson Tatum in and reacting in a petty way that further fan the flame
There is a massive distinction between Jayson Tatum and Tyrse Haliburton’s Olympic Games’ performances and attitude the people are recognizing
Beyond the backlash from Celtics fans over Jayson Tatum’s limited participation in the Olympics, another NBA star who saw minimal action was Tyrese Haliburton. The Indiana Pacers standout had an impressive season, which earned him a spot on the USA Basketball Men’s Team for the Olympics. However, Haliburton’s on-court time was sparse; he appeared in only three games, never scoring more than 6 points in any of them. He logged 8 minutes against South Sudan, increased to 10 minutes against Puerto Rico, and played another 8 minutes in the game against Brazil. Haliburton did not feature in any of the other matches. Despite this, Haliburton quickly came to terms with his limited role, recognizing and accepting his place on the team.
LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Jayson Tatum headline a “once in a lifetime” moment with TEAM USA
Haliburton’s take on low playing time at the Olympics
To be fair, Jayson Tatum appeared just as joyful as the other NBA stars during the celebrations, and he did get some minutes on the court in the final game, unlike Tyrese Haliburton, who didn’t play at all. Tatum’s performance against France was underwhelming, with just 11 minutes of playtime, 2 points, and 3 rebounds. The comparisons between Tatum and Haliburton intensified after the game due to the reaction Haliburton received on social media. Haliburton posted a lighthearted joke that resonated with many, sharing a photo of himself proudly holding his gold medal with a wide smile. He captioned it: “When you ain’t do nun on the group project and still get an A.”
It’s also important to highlight the difference in Jayson Tatum’s performance between the 2024 and 2020 Olympics. While he secured a gold medal in both tournaments, his impact was much greater during the Tokyo Olympics. In the 2021 competition, which was postponed due to the global pandemic, Tatum averaged 15.2 points per game, making him the second-highest scorer on the team, just behind Kevin Durant. This past success likely contributed to Tatum feeling sidelined in the 2024 Games, as he came into the event with high expectations based on his previous achievements. Despite feeling less involved this time around, Tatum still walked away with a gold medal and can add that to an already impressive year as the reigning NBA champion. Overall, it wasn’t a bad year for Tatum.
