Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum went on a trip to China for a promotional tour with Jordan brand. New Orleans Pelicans big Zion Williamson and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic were both also in attendance, but a video of Tatum leaked that has social media ripping into the Celtics forward.
The NBA stars took on some local fans in one-on-ones and other games, but Tatum got the worst of it. While going up for a layup, he missed. And though he got his rebound, he missed again… and again.
Jayson Tatum gets clowned on social media after video missing layups with Jordan brand
Obviously, social media went nuts.
Jayson Tatum HOOPIN in China 🔥 pic.twitter.com/oNpBg3dTML
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) August 29, 2024
A ton of the comments below the post were comparing Tatum to Chicago Sky star Angel Reese, who some believe is inflating her rebounding numbers by missing shots around the rim.
Tatum obviously wasn’t playing in a real game, so this was likely just a matter of him being too nonchalant, but he heard it from social media nonetheless.
It’s been a tough summer for Tatum in terms of criticism.
Despite winning an NBA Championship in June, Tatum had a rocky stint with Team USA during the 2024 Olympics. He got benched in two of the team’s six games, and barely earned significant minutes in the other four.
So, while the US won a gold medal, Tatum had to endure an offseason full of drama and annoying discourse running rampant in the media. And after this latest video of him in China, it’s not going to be ending any time soon.
In addition to the Reese comments, some fans were saying that Tatum should stay in China, implying he should play in the CBA instead of the NBA. Others spoke about his run with Team USA, saying they understand why he didn’t play.
But there were also plenty of Celtics fans who came to Tatum’s defense in the replies.
All that being said, Tatum has handled the drama-filled summer with grace. Even throughout this Olympic run, Tatum kept a team-first mindset, focusing on winning his second gold rather than his own playing time.
Now, heading into next season with the Celtics, he’ll turn his attention to a much more important goal: Banner 19.