Tatum: Mazzulla happy I lost Finals MVP, was benched at Olympics
Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla had a strange reaction to Celtics star Jayson Tatum being passed over for Finals MVP and benched at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
At Tuesday's Celtics media day, Tatum was asked how he'll use his Olympic experience as motivation for the upcoming season. "I talk to Joe a lot. Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn't win Finals MVP and then I didn't play in two of the games in the Olympics," Tatum told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston.
"It was odd, but if you know Joe, that makes sense," Tatum added.
Tatum was only the sixth player in NBA history to lead a championship-winning team in playoff points (25), rebounds (9.7), and assists (6.3) and the only one not to win Finals MVP. Teammate Jaylen Brown was given the award as well as the Larry Bird Trophy for Eastern Conference finals MVP.
Tatum then joined the U.S. men's national team at the Olympics, where he was expected to be a key contributor. Meanwhile, Brown didn't receive an invite from Team USA.
Tatum struggled to make an impact in Paris. The Duke product only averaged 5.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 rebounds and didn't see the court for both matchups against Serbia. He played 11 minutes in the gold-medal game against France, scoring two points and grabbing three rebounds.
Tatum's shooting struggles were one of the key reasons he didn't play many minutes in Paris. The 6-foot-8 forward didn't make a three the entire tournament and shot a dreary 38% from the field.
At media day, Tatum admitted he's been working with NBA trainer Drew Hanlen to improve "a few mechanical things," according to The Athletic's Jay King.
"I am a believer that everything does happen for a reason. But it was a good experience. We won the gold medal," Tatum said Tuesday, per NBC Sports Boston.
The Celtics will begin their 2024-25 campaign against the New York Knicks on Oct. 22.