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2020 Tokyo Olympics | Honoring the Jersey
7/24/2021 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Wearing jersey #0 for Duke in his only collegiate season, Jayson Tatum was a central figure in the Blue Devils' four-wins-in-four-days 2017 ACC championship, and he threw down one of Cameron Indoor Stadium's epic dunks in a pulsating victory over North Carolina.
Wearing jersey #0 for the Boston Celtics during his first four pro seasons, Tatum rapidly developed into one of the top players in the NBA with two All-Star Game nods and a slew of highlights that define him as a cornerstone of the franchise. He has become so respected and popular, at only 23 years of age, that sales of his jersey ranked fifth among all players over the second half of the 2021 season — behind only LeBron, Giannis, Durant and Doncic.
But when it comes to USA Basketball, Tatum's affinity for #0 is superseded by his admiration for the legendary Kobe Bryant. The late Lakers great wore jersey #10 in helping Coach K's 2008 and 2012 USA teams win Olympic gold, and now Tatum dons #10 in Tokyo this summer for his first Olympic Games.
Bryant was Tatum's favorite player growing up. When he made his first USA Basketball national team at age 15, he was thrilled to be issued #10. He's worn it on the international stage several times since, including at the 2019 FIBA World Cup before an ankle injury sidelined him after two games.
He didn't ask for #10 this summer, but he says he was honored to receive it and will wear it proudly with keen knowledge of its history.
"With this being the first Olympics since we lost (Kobe), it holds that much more value," Tatum told the Associated Press. "It's not something I take lightly."
Tatum becomes the seventh former Blue Devil to suit up for the red, white and blue at the Summer Olympics. The previous six all claimed gold medals. The most recent, Kyrie Irving, helped Coach K's 2016 club win gold. Another Bryant admirer, Irving had the honor of wearing #10 in Rio.
Tatum has been active and productive with USA Basketball since his mid-teens, forging a national team resume highlighted so far by winning gold medals at the FIBA U17 and FIBA U19 World Championships. Now he hopes to help guide the senior national team to a fourth straight Olympic gold.
Tatum heads to Tokyo coming off his best pro season to date. Although he missed some games dealing with covid-19, he posted career highs of 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, in a career-best 35.8 minutes per night.
He tied the Boston franchise record with a 60-point game against the Spurs. He posted a 50-point game in a playoff victory over the Nets — shortly after scoring 50 against the Wizards in a play-in tournament game. He became the first player in Celtics history to record multiple 50-point games in one season, and the fifth player in NBA history with multiple 50-point games in a calendar month before the age of 24.
He just missed making the All-NBA third team — an honor that would have triggered a $33 million incentive bonus in his contract. But there is no doubt that he is one of the top 15 players in the league, and one who should play an integral role in a USA run for gold in Tokyo.
Credit: GoDuke the Magazine
Â
#GoDukeÂ
Wearing jersey #0 for the Boston Celtics during his first four pro seasons, Tatum rapidly developed into one of the top players in the NBA with two All-Star Game nods and a slew of highlights that define him as a cornerstone of the franchise. He has become so respected and popular, at only 23 years of age, that sales of his jersey ranked fifth among all players over the second half of the 2021 season — behind only LeBron, Giannis, Durant and Doncic.
But when it comes to USA Basketball, Tatum's affinity for #0 is superseded by his admiration for the legendary Kobe Bryant. The late Lakers great wore jersey #10 in helping Coach K's 2008 and 2012 USA teams win Olympic gold, and now Tatum dons #10 in Tokyo this summer for his first Olympic Games.
Bryant was Tatum's favorite player growing up. When he made his first USA Basketball national team at age 15, he was thrilled to be issued #10. He's worn it on the international stage several times since, including at the 2019 FIBA World Cup before an ankle injury sidelined him after two games.
He didn't ask for #10 this summer, but he says he was honored to receive it and will wear it proudly with keen knowledge of its history.
"With this being the first Olympics since we lost (Kobe), it holds that much more value," Tatum told the Associated Press. "It's not something I take lightly."
Tatum becomes the seventh former Blue Devil to suit up for the red, white and blue at the Summer Olympics. The previous six all claimed gold medals. The most recent, Kyrie Irving, helped Coach K's 2016 club win gold. Another Bryant admirer, Irving had the honor of wearing #10 in Rio.
Tatum has been active and productive with USA Basketball since his mid-teens, forging a national team resume highlighted so far by winning gold medals at the FIBA U17 and FIBA U19 World Championships. Now he hopes to help guide the senior national team to a fourth straight Olympic gold.
Tatum heads to Tokyo coming off his best pro season to date. Although he missed some games dealing with covid-19, he posted career highs of 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, in a career-best 35.8 minutes per night.
He tied the Boston franchise record with a 60-point game against the Spurs. He posted a 50-point game in a playoff victory over the Nets — shortly after scoring 50 against the Wizards in a play-in tournament game. He became the first player in Celtics history to record multiple 50-point games in one season, and the fifth player in NBA history with multiple 50-point games in a calendar month before the age of 24.
He just missed making the All-NBA third team — an honor that would have triggered a $33 million incentive bonus in his contract. But there is no doubt that he is one of the top 15 players in the league, and one who should play an integral role in a USA run for gold in Tokyo.
Credit: GoDuke the Magazine
Â
#GoDukeÂ
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