There has been a lot of discussion and speculation about Jayson Tatum’s substitution for the 2024 Paris Olympics. While news outlets covered one side of the story and claimed it was a setback for the Boston Celtics guard, fake news also made the rounds.
Recently, a tweet from the parody account NBA Centel went viral, falsely claiming that Tatum had spoken to his Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown about giving out DNPs (Did Not Plays) during the Olympics.
The tweet sparked a flood of reactions on social media, with the caption reading: “Jaylen Brown on Jayson Tatum’s DNP award during the Olympics: ‘He told me he wished he’d stayed home and not wasted his summer in Paris.'”
Although the almost believable tweet was fake, as Brown had not had a conversation with Tatum about the topic, as the post claimed. However, the video cited was from one of Brown’s recent interviews with CNBC Sports.
In an interview, Jaylen Brown broke his silence about his Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum’s limited playing time during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Brown and Tatum both fulfilled their long-held dream of winning the NBA title last season, but their fortunes changed at the Olympics: Brown did not make the US team roster, while Tatum was included in the team but received minimal playing time during the games.
Read also: Former NBA legend criticizes Steve Kerr for “unfair” treatment of Jayson Tatum at the Paris Olympics
Tatum’s reduced role in Paris had attracted considerable attention from former players and analysts, but Brown had initially chosen to remain conspicuously silent on the matter.
In an interview with Monte Poole of NBC Sports, Brown made his first public comment on Tatum’s playing time: “I have no comments on that right now… I’m focused on the Oakland XChange and I’m excited. Jayson is going to be fine. Jayson Tatum is going to be fine.”
Here is the actual interview that the parody account quoted from:
Brown seemed determined to focus on the tasks ahead, but at the same time expressed his confidence in Tatum’s ability to overcome the challenges he faced in Paris.
Brown had hoped to be named to Team USA as Kawhi Leonard’s replacement. His disappointment was made even clearer when Derrick White was chosen as the replacement instead. Brown took to social media to express his feelings, suggesting he had moved on from his previous silence on Tatum’s situation.
While Brown’s reserved comments to NBC Sports suggest he does not want to engage in a public discussion about Tatum’s playing time, his vocal social media comments about his own Olympic ambitions showed he is willing to communicate his feelings more openly in certain contexts.
Read also: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are victims of conspiracy allegations against Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford
