This is a quote from Jayson Tatum which has gone viral for 24 hours. Without any source, the account HoopsMixOnly posted this to his 700,000 or so followers: “With my current team, which just became an NBA champion, we could beat anyone. Team USA included.” Below this tweet, a promotional message for NBA 2K25 starring… Jayson Tatum.
In any case, Tatum's quote has been shared over 10,000 times and viewed 1.5 million times on X! We've also seen it on Facebook and Instagram. Obviously, some Internet users have attacked the Celtics player, especially since he's coming out of a very complicated period since he played little during the Olympic Games. But here's the thing, this quote is “fake news”. Tatum never said this sentence. By digging, and looking for the origin of this false quote, we discover that the only time he was asked about the Celtics and Team USA was before the competition.
When asked which team would win in a match between the Celtics and Team USA, This is what he replied : “You know, when you win a title, it gives you a little bit of freedom to say what you want and what you feel. So I’m rooting for the guys that I played basketball with for 10 months and went through the worst with. I love this team that I play for. On the other side, there’s a hell of a team with some of the greatest players of all time. But what I just experienced with my teammates winning a title bonds us forever. I’ll pick us over anybody.”
