Jayson Tatum is an Olympic champion just like he wanted. But at what cost? With Steve Kerr benching him in two of the six games in Paris and not giving him much playing time, it became a hot topic in the hoops community, as many believed the move tainted the Celtics star’s legacy. Even Tatum deemed it a “humbling experience”. And now that he has had some time to process the whole situation, the outspoken star has kept a positive approach and is proud that he “did what was asked” of him. And that raises the question: Does Jayson Tatum deserve more credit for his sacrifice?

Well, Gilbert Arenas certainly thinks so. “Yes. I think the narrative was it started on Game 1 when he didn’t play. I think it just put too much pressure on the whole atmosphere when, in reality, you say everyone has to sacrifice for the greater good of whatever we are trying to go for.” Funnily enough, the entire nation was wondering before the tournament began if these superstars would be able to keep their egos aside and play a specific role rather than always being ‘The Man’. But when Tatum did it without hesitation, he got criticized for it by the same people. Meanwhile, when Dwyane Wade did something similar in 2008, he was deemed a national hero!

Yes, just like Tatum this year, Wade was also coming off the bench while he was part of The Redeem Team during the Beijing Olympics. And Arenas reminded the world on the Gil’s Arena pod, “That’s the narrative you wanna put it, Dwyane Wade was the f— Dwyane Wade coming off the bench. Baldhead Dwyane Wade was probably the most impactful dude. Someone had to do it.” Yes, Wade was in the conversation for the best player in the league at the time as he had won his first NBA Championship only two years prior and became a Finals MVP at the age of 24 by averaging 28.4 points in the playoffs.

His getting benched during the Olympics raised no controversy as opposed to what happened with Tatum this year. So, what changed?

Why did Jayson Tatum not receive the Dwyane Wade treatment from fans?

It’s safe to say that Jayson Tatum displayed his team spirit by making a sacrifice for a bigger goal. And Arenas even questioned, “If he’s a sacrificial lamb, then why is his legacy even up for debate?” But there might be a reason why JT’s Olympics run has not been put in the same tier as D Wade’s Beijing run. The answer lies in their performance. Yes, Wade came off the bench. But he still became arguably the best performer on The Redeem Team. Outscoring superstars like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, Wade averaged 16 points in 8 games to lead the team to a gold medal. Moreover, he proved to be the team’s defensive anchor by averaging 2.3 steals.

On the other hand, Tatum was not able to utilize his time on the floor like Wade did. Yes, he did not play in two games. But the four games where he was on the floor for a decent amount were not too memorable, either. Unable to find his role on the team, JT could average only 5.3 points and crossed the double-digit mark only once. With so many superstars on the roster, players do not get much time to make an impact. And Tatum missed his shot whenever he was on the floor.

Had he produced results, he might have received the same treatment as Dwayne Wade or even Devin Booker who was deemed the “unsung MVP” by Steve Kerr for playing his three and D role perfectly. What are your thoughts?