Jayson Tatum: Team USA basketball star on Paris 2024, mental health and helping escape the presidential election

Team USA forward Jayson Tatum is looking to cap off an incredible season by picking up his second Olympic gold medal in the men’s basketball at Paris 2024.

“I just know how much joy it can bring, and we as a team know how much joy it can bring to so many people back home,” Tatum told BBC Sport.

“I remember growing up as a kid, I loved nothing more than to see all the best players on Team USA having fun out there.”

The USA are targeting a fifth consecutive men’s basketball gold medal with a 12-man squad filled with some of the NBA’s biggest names, like LeBron James and Stephen Curry.

But they also have a blend of new talent coming through, such as 24-year-old Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 22-year-old star Anthony Edwards.

“Tyrese Haliburton was in high school when I was in the NBA, so that’s kind of weird,” smiled Tatum.

“We’ve got a great group of guys, all at different stages in their careers and great personalities.”

He’s also hopeful the team can provide some escapism for fans back home who are in the midst of a tense and drawn-out presidential election campaign.

“The Olympics and especially us with Team USA basketball, have such a big opportunity to show that we can all come together as a unit,” Tatum said.

The five-time NBA All-Star led the Celtics to a league-best 64 wins last season, averaging 26.9 points himself.

Despite standout performances throughout his career in Boston, prior to this season, they had been without a championship since 2008.

Tatum came close to lifting the trophy in 2022 but lost in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.

The Celtics then went on to lose in the 2023 eastern conference finals to the Miami heat.

These losses led to a lot of scrutiny around Tatum’s ability to deliver a championship, not only on social platforms but also in the media.

Reflecting on this scrutiny, Tatum told BBC Sport: “It was a process and you just have to go through it to learn how to deal with it. The older you get, the more time you spend in the league – the less you start to care.

“You have to have an outlet, right? Whatever that may look like, you need something to get away from it all,

“Don’t get me wrong, basketball is extremely important, but it is not everything, and you can’t let that be the sole purpose of your happiness – it will drive you crazy.

“Whatever you do, it will never be good enough, so you can’t keep trying to get justification from other people.”

For Tatum his focus outside of basketball is centred around his six-year-old son, Jayson ‘Deuce’ Tatum Jr, who is a constant presence at Boston’s stadium the TD Garden.

“He’s coming out to Paris with my mum, and hopefully, he’ll get to see us win another gold medal,” said Tatum.

“Deuce has been with me every step of the way, he’s watched every accomplishment and all the things we’ve managed to achieve.

“I love my son. I love having him around and sharing these moments and experiences together – it’s something we’ll always remember.”