Team USA

Taylor Snow

For as long as he can remember, Jayson Tatum has fantasized about winning an Olympic gold medal for the Red, White, and Blue. On Saturday morning in Tokyo, his lifelong dream came true.

The United States men’s basketball team danced past France, 87-82, for its 16th first-place finish in the Olympic Games.

Kevin Durant led the charge with a game-high 29-point performance, and Tatum – the youngest member of Team USA – finished second on the squad with 19 points to go along with a team-leading seven rebounds. The 23-year-old wing was also the most efficient shooter of the matchup, as he finished 8-of-14 from the field, including a game-best 3-of-5 from 3-point range, en route to becoming the first Celtics player to win Olympic gold since Larry Bird in 1992.

It was a slow start for the Americans, as they fell behind 10-4 out of the gate while missing their first eight 3-point attempts. However, Durant kept the team afloat by scoring 12 of its first 18 points in the opening frame.

Tatum checked in off the bench late in the first quarter and quickly got his name into the scoring column. He knocked down a 3-pointer for the final points of the period to give the USA a 22-18 lead, and then dropped in a fadeaway jumper on the first possession of the second quarter to push its lead up to six.

JT remained on fire throughout the second quarter, as he also made a pair of layups along with another jumper. He finished the first half with 11 points, helping to guide Team USA into the break with a 44-39 lead.

Tatum scored five more points in the third quarter, including two on a fast-break dunk that gave the USA its biggest lead of the game at 71-57. However, France then went on a 13-2 run, cutting its deficit down to three points with 5:44 remaining in the final frame.

The Americans then began to pull away again, as they went on a 9-2 run that was capped off by another Tatum 3-pointer.

However, France remained resilient, hacking away at the USA’s double-digit lead until it was a three-point ball game again with just 10 seconds remaining.

For a moment, it looked like the French had a chance to pull off another upset victory over the heavily favored USA, just as they had done in the Group Stage round. However, their fate was sealed just two seconds later after fouling Durant on the ensuing inbounds pass. The three-time gold medalist confidently walked to the free-throw line and sunk both of his attempts, which all but clinched the victory for the Americans.

The final buzzer sounded eight seconds later, prompting Tatum to let out a scream of joy before sharing an embrace with new Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, who was serving as a Team USA assistant. The young superstar played every bit the part in his first Olympic journey, and it all became worth it at that moment.

“It’s an incredible feeling. Something you always dream about,” Tatum told NBC after the game while surrounded by many of his former idols who have now become teammates. “I remember being in high school watching these guys win a gold medal. And to play alongside them and win one in a climate like this, everything that we went through, not being able to bring our family – I know (my son) Deuce is watching. So this is an amazing feeling.”

It’s a feeling that Tatum has waited his whole life to experience. And at just 23 years old, it surely won’t be his last opportunity to do so.

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Tatum Grabs Gold, Scores 19 Points in Team USA's Olympic Win

Jayson Tatum’s Olympic gold medal hopes momentarily hung in the balance Thursday afternoon in Tokyo, as Team USA struggled out of the gates in its semifinal matchup with Australia, trailing by as many as 15 points during the first half. However, it didn’t take long for those hopes to be renewed.

After falling behind 41-26 midway through the second quarter, USA flipped a switch and went on its biggest tear of the tournament – a 28-4 run, which then turned into a 48-14 run, which eventually turned into a 97-78 win and a berth in the finals.

Tatum had one of the most well-rounded efforts of the game, as he came off the bench and tallied nine points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and a game-high two blocks. All of his points were produced from beyond the arc where he shot 3-of-6, tying for the game lead in 3-point makes.

Long-range shooting was an early issue for Team USA, as it missed its first 10 shots from deep. However, that trend changed once the Americans saw their first triple fall near the end of the second frame.

Devin Booker broke the cold-shooting spell by knocking down a wide-open triple with 3:23 left in the half, and then Tatum canned another less than two minutes later. Those two makes ended up setting the tone for the remainder of the game, as Team USA went on to knock down 9-of-18 from deep following its 0-for-10 start.

The Americans were able to cut their deficit down to four points by the end of the first half thanks to a 16-4 run, for which Tatum was entirely present. They then opened up the third quarter with a 12-0 burst, extending their run to 28-4.

Kevin Durant was the most consistent source of offense for Team USA, per usual, as he finished with a game-high 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field. The two-time Olympic gold medalist also grabbed a game-leading nine rebounds to go along with two assists, two steals, and one block.

Australia had previously given USA trouble during exhibition play in Las Vegas last month, capturing a 91-83 upset victory over the three-time defending gold medalists. But that was long before the Americans had brewed up enough chemistry to overcome adversity together, as they did Thursday afternoon.

At the very least, USA will be coming home next week with a silver medal. However, Tatum and his fellow countrymen didn’t travel all the way to Tokyo to come in second place. They came for gold, and now they are just one win away from capturing it.

Their golden opportunity lies less than two days away, as USA will hit the court one final time at 11:30 a.m. Saturday (10:30 p.m. EST, Friday) to take on the winner of the upcoming France-Slovenia semifinal matchup.

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Tatum, Team USA Advance Past Australia into Gold-Medal Game

Jayson Tatum was Mr. Fourth Quarter throughout last season for the Boston Celtics.

And now, he’s turning into Mr. Fourth Quarter for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics.

Tatum helped to break open what had been a close quarterfinals matchup against Spain Tuesday, as he dropped 10 of his 13 points during the fourth quarter to guide Team USA into the semifinals, thus clinching a chance to compete for an Olympic medal.

For Tatum, it marked the second straight game in which he scored in double-figures during the final frame after erupting for 17 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s group stage win over the Czech Republic.

Tatum saved almost all of his scoring for crunch time Tuesday afternoon after tallying only three points during the first three quarters while playing limited minutes. However, head coach Gregg Popovich gave Tatum plenty of run during the final 10 minutes, and that’s when the All-NBA wing did most of his damage.

Team USA had just a four-point advantage early in the fourth quarter over the No. 2 ranked Spanish squad, but Tatum changed the flow of the game as he scored or assisted on 11 straight points to help push the lead out to 15.

During that run, Tatum went on a personal 7-0 scoring spree over a span of just 57 seconds, which included two 3-pointers a rebound, and a steal that led to a clear-path foul.

Tatum finished as Team USA’s second-leading scorer behind Kevin Durant (29 points), while also logging three rebounds, two assists, and one steal during 18 minutes of turnover-free action.

Ricky Rubio led the way for Spain with a magnificent 38-point effort. The veteran guard scored 13 of those points during the first quarter, guiding Spain out of the gates to a 21-19 lead. USA then out-scored Spain by two during quarter No. 2, which placed the teams in a 43-43 tie at halftime.

Team USA exploded out of the break on a 22-6 run, but Spain responded by closing out the third quarter on an 11-2 run of its own.

Team USA had a slim, 69-63 advantage heading into the fourth, and that’s when Tatum buckled down.

“We knew it was win-or-go-home, and they knew that,” Tatum said in an interview with NBC after the game. “They’re a really good team. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We expected a dogfight, and that’s what it was.”

Tatum has provided much of that fight down the stretch during the last two games. He has scored 40 points in his last two contests, including 27 during the fourth quarter alone.

However, this is not a new development for Boston’s Mr. Fourth Quarter, as Tatum led the NBA this past season in fourth-quarter scoring. Now, he’s just continuing the trend on an international stage.

If Tatum and Team USA can maintain their strong play down the stretch, then they’ll have a chance to clinch a medal in Thursday’s semifinal, which will be played against the winner of Tuesday night’s matchup between Argentina and Australia.

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Tatum Heats Up for Another Big 4th Quarter, Pushing USA into Semifinals

Competing for an Olympic gold medal has been a lifelong dream for Jayson Tatum. And now, that opportunity lies directly ahead of the 23-year-old basketball superstar.

Following two weeks of prep work in Las Vegas, Tatum and the rest of the United States Men’s Basketball Team flew halfway around the world to Tokyo earlier this week, marking the beginning of their Olympic journey.

“I’m excited. I’m ready,” Tatum said Thursday, two days after arriving in Japan. “After being in Vegas and the long flight over here, it’s almost that time. So I’m ready to get it started.”

The first challenge of Tatum’s trek is getting used to his surroundings, more specifically adjusting to the time zone shift. In his case, the East-Coast dweller is currently fighting off jetlag, as he’s now 13 hours ahead his typical schedule.

“I’m trying to still get used to it,” Tatum said during his 8 p.m. local-time media session, which would have been 7 a.m. in Boston. “Trying not to randomly fall asleep. Waking up at all hours of the night because my body is still trying to get adjusted. I guess it takes a couple of days.”

In the days leading up Sunday’s opening game against France, Tatum is looking forward to building chemistry with his star-studded group of teammates and world-class coaches.

Included on Team USA’s coaching staff is new Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, with whom Tatum has spent plenty of time already. Shortly before departing from Vegas for Tokyo, Tatum got a taste of Udoka’s hands-on coaching approach, as he faced off against the former seven-year NBA journeyman in a one-on-one practice session.

“He was trying to guard me. Didn’t have too much luck,” Tatum recalled while smiling about his friendly battle with Udoka. “We were just getting some extra work in after practice, putting me through some drills, and getting some extra shots up.”

Through their time spent together, Tatum has also begun envisioning what it will be like playing under Udoka in Boston.

“He’s obviously excited to be the new coach and for this opportunity,” Tatum said. “He’s motivated and driven. We’re both excited. But obviously we have a job to do here first, and we’ll take care of [Celtics business] when we get there.”

The first task of the job for Team USA will be taking on France Sunday night (8 a.m. EST). Not only does France boast one of the most talented rosters in the field, but it also contains several of Tatum’s friends and former teammates, including Evan Fournier, Vincent Poirier, and Guerschon Yabusele.

“All three of those guys, they’re all still my teammates. I love playing with those guys,” Tatum said. “VP and especially Guerschon, I haven’t seen those guys in a while. I guess I’ll be happy to see them Sunday, but there won’t be any friends out there when the game starts.”

Tatum has been waiting for Sunday’s tip-off his whole life, as it will mark the beginning of his first Olympic journey. It’s an opportunity for which he holds a great appreciation, especially after going through the trials and tribulations of the ongoing global pandemic.

“I’ve learned to not take things for granted,” said Tatum, who tested positive for COVID-19 in January and spent most of the NBA season battling through its aftereffects. “I think in the climate of the last year and a half, just realizing that not everything is promised, and you never know what could or couldn’t happen. So, I’m just staying in the moment and really enjoying this journey, this process of being 23 and being in the Olympics. It’s an honor. It really is a dream come true.”

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Tatum in Tokyo: Competing for Gold Medal is a ‘Dream Come True’

Jayson Tatum got his first taste of action with the United States Men’s Basketball Olympic team Saturday night and turned out to be one of its few bright spots during an exhibition upset defeat to Nigeria.

The Celtics wing served as Team USA’s primary source of offense throughout the majority of the contest, as he tallied 15 points and a game-high-tying seven rebounds, while shooting 4-of-7 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
But despite the efforts of its youngest member, Team USA came up short, 90-87, in its first of five exhibition matchups ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

Tatum earned a spot in the starting lineup alongside Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, and Bam Adebayo. He proved right away that he belonged among such a star-studded group, as he knocked down a pair of 3-pointers during the opening frame, including a transition trey at the end of the frame which gave USA a 23-22 lead.

Tatum added to his scoring in the second quarter with an and-one lay-up and three free-throw makes, giving him a team-high 11 points at the break. However, USA could not sustain its 43-41 halftime lead, largely due to Nigeria’s 20-of-42 shooting effort from 3-point range, which included a 6-of-8 effort from the game’s leading scorer, Gabe Vincent (21 points).

Nigeria saw its lead expand to as many as eight points during the closing minutes, though Durant was able to keep USA in the game by scoring eight of his team-high 17 points during the final minute-plus of regulation.

It was a stunning defeat for Team USA, which was favored by 30 points, but as Tatum noted, it was the first time that many of these guys have played in a game together, and following just four days of preparation.

“We’re just trying to get a feel for the game, for each other,” he said during a halftime interview with NBC Sports. “We’re trying to get in a flow, get in shape, and so we’re trying to figure a lot of things out.”

Tatum also believes that a loss like this can help in the long run, as he said after the game, “We’re going to learn a lot from film, and just regroup, stay positive.”

One piece of intel that he and his teammates will take away from the film is that they will need to move the ball better and not settle for so many isolation plays moving forward.

“We’ve got a lot of great isolation players, and in this deal, we’re going to have to play together and figure out what works best with certain guys out there and getting other guys easy shots instead of for ourselves,” Tatum said.

Obviously, it wasn’t an ideal start for the gold-medal favorites, but getting a wake-up call out of the way early could be a blessing in disguise.

In fact, while sitting next to Tatum at a podium post-game, head coach Gregg Popovich went so far as to say, “In a way, I’m kind of glad it happened. That loss means nothing if we don’t learn from it, but it could be the most important thing in this tournament for us, to learn lessons from this and see what we did to move on. Because it’s a great group of guys, high-character, and we’ll figure it out.”

Tatum and the rest of the group will have four more exhibition games to figure it out before heading to Tokyo, with their next game falling Monday night against Australia.

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Tatum Starts Strong in Team USA’s Exhibition Opener

Marc D'Amico

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Two things have energized Jayson Tatum over the last few weeks: Ime Udoka being hired as the new head coach of the Boston Celtics, and the opportunity to play for Team USA in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Tatum spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon for the first time since Boston’s season came to a close June 1. He spoke this time as a member of Team USA, following its practice in Las Vegas in advance of the Olympics.

A lot has happened within the Celtics since Tatum’s season-ending press conference five weeks ago, including the retirement of Danny Ainge, the promotion of Brad Stevens to president of basketball operations, the hiring of Udoka as head coach, and the acquisition of Al Horford via trade. Tatum acknowledged that the stretch of changes “was a lot at first,” but also suggested that it might be exactly what he and his teammates needed.

As Tatum said, “Change is good sometimes,” and that is especially the case when it leads to a longtime NBA player and assistant coach who had a pre-existing relationship with Tatum landing as Boston’s 18th head coach.

“I’m excited about our new coach, Ime … I got to know him a little bit (at the 2019 World Cup),” said Tatum. “I think what stands out the most is, I guess when you’re coming up as an assistant and you get your first head coach job, you’re driven and motivated. And from the conversations I’ve had with him since he’s gotten the job, I can tell he’s just really, really excited.”

So, too, is Tatum, who added, “It’s going to be fun, and we’re gonna try to accomplish something big.”

That comment was with relation to pursuing an NBA championship in Boston, but the duo will first look to accomplish something big in Tokyo.

Tatum is the first member of the Celtics to play for Team USA in the Olympics since Larry Bird did so as part of the 1992 Dream Team. Udoka, meanwhile, is a development coach on Gregg Popovich’s USA staff.

The prospect of representing his country in the Olympics, under his new head coach, no less, was an opportunity that Tatum just couldn’t pass up.

“I’m excited to be here. This is a great opportunity,” said Tatum. “I think playing in the Olympics is something I always dreamed about. So I’m looking forward to it and just playing with a group of guys that you can go out and compete against. I think that’s what is the most fun part, just being on the same team with these guys.”

Also of note is the fact that playing international basketball under Popovich and his staff during the 2019 World Cup is what arguably launched Tatum into stardom. Tatum recalled Wednesday afternoon how that experience set him up to take a leap during the 2019-20 NBA season.

“Just how [Popovich] was coaching me and what he expected of me and the confidence that he had, and knowing all of the great players that he’s been around,” he remembered. “After leaving that camp, and knowing that one of the best coaches ever thinks highly of me, I kinda came into my third season just feeling really confident that, regardless of my age, that I was one of the best players, and I just had to go out there and prove it on a nightly basis.”

Tatum has done just that during his two NBA seasons since, which led to his selection to the Olympic team this summer. He is now widely regarded as one of the top players in the world, one who is excited to live out a dream by representing the United States at the Olympics, all with his new head coach right by his side.

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Tatum Describes Excitement for Udoka Hire and Upcoming Olympics

While most NBA players were riding out the dog days of the 2019 offseason, four core members of the Boston Celtics were hard at work building something special.

Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum and C’s newcomer Kemba Walker spent six weeks together training and competing on one of basketball’s biggest stages, as they proudly represented their country on Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in China.

For those four players, earning a spot on the United States men’s national basketball team was a multifaceted blessing. Not only did it allow them to get in shape for the 2019-20 NBA season, but it also enabled them to develop chemistry as a group – a group that became known around the basketball world as “Team Shamrock.”

For more than a month, Brown, Smart, Tatum and Walker traveled together, ate together, conversed together, and competed together in adverse situations. All the while, they were able to pick the brains of a hall of fame-caliber coaching staff and a roster full of world-class players.

Although their team ultimately did not medal at the tournament, Team Shamrock returned home to Boston with something far more valuable than a piece of hardware draped around their necks: they returned with a sense of solidarity.  Their roots had become intertwined, and they had blossomed into a four-leaf clover.

Like any plant, this one strives to keep on growing toward the golden sunlight – or in this case, toward the golden touch of the next Larry O’Brien trophy. While Team Shamrock’s journey with the red, white and blue is over, its journey with the green has just begun.

When Team USA’s preliminary 20-man roster was announced in mid-June, there was only one Celtics player on the list: Tatum. Walker had earned a spot as well, though, at the time, he was still a member of the Charlotte Hornets. That soon changed, however, as the free-agent point guard left Buzz City for Boston during the first week of July.

The newly paired colleagues knew that a special bonding experience lay ahead of them, but what they did not realize was that they’d be sharing it with two of their other Celtics teammates as well.

During the first few weeks of July, several of Team USA’s players deflected their selections. That opened the door for other NBA players to fill in, and one of the first to receive a call was Smart. As someone who had always strived to represent his country on the national stage, the 25-year-old guard didn’t hesitate to accept.

“This is something that, as a kid, you dream of doing,” Smart said after joining the team. “Everybody has their reasons for why they didn’t play, but we can’t focus on that. My name was called, and I got to step up to the task.”

A few days later, another Celtic had his dream come true as Brown earned his call to the squad. All four would eventually make the final 12-man roster, which officially set the record for the most players from one NBA team on the same national squad.

That prompted Smart to coin the catchy team nickname. “Might as well call us Team Shamrock,” he tweeted July 26.

The team got to work on Aug. 5, as they convened alongside the USA Select Team in Las Vegas for training camp, before moving on to Los Angeles for a few scrimmages and exhibition games. After a couple of weeks of practicing on their home turf, the squad boarded a plane on Aug. 17 and flew 17 hours to Australia for more exhibition play, before heading up to China for World Cup play.

Once they were away from home, the true bonding experience began.

By the time Team USA crossed the Pacific Ocean to Melbourne, its players and coaches had gotten to know each other quite well. After all, 17 consecutive hours in a plane is a lot of time spent in close quarters.

Head coach Gregg Popovich didn’t want that closeness to dissipate once landing on foreign soil, so he made it a point to plan group outings on a regular basis.

“It’s great,” Popovich said two days after arriving in Melbourne of his team’s willingness to stick together off the court. “We go to dinner without phones, people actually talk to each other, ask questions and learn about how each other grew up, that sort of thing. Because it is a brand-new basketball team, you have to start not skipping steps and trying to learn about people, and you get as far as you can in a short period of time.”

Those team excursions in Australia and China were some of Brown’s favorite elements of the trip, as he got to know the personal sides of his NBA peers.

“When you’re outside in the world, and you’re outside your comfort zone halfway across the world, you see things come out in people that you would have never expected over a glass of wine and stuff like that,” Brown said after a team practice on Aug. 20. “People are interesting. Everybody’s different. Everybody has their own swag, and it’s pretty cool being up close and seeing that.”

As cool as it was for Brown to learn about the lifestyles of his NBA peers from teams outside of Boston, it was even more intriguing how much knowledge he gained about his current Celtics teammates.

“Even guys I’ve been playing with for two, three years now, I’m still even learning more about them, so it’s been a good experience,” he explained. “I’ve been learning more about Marcus. I’ve been learning more about Jayson Tatum and getting to know Kemba.”

The four of them visited tourist attractions together, they played video games, they went out to dinner, and they even held a Boston Tea Party in China.

Jayson Tatum described it best after returning to Boston, likening it to “a big AAU trip.”

Integrating Walker into the group was the most critical part of the bonding experience. Being the new kid on the block is always a challenge, but the three Celtics mainstays helped to make Walker’s transition easy. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he’d fit in with them just fine back in Boston.

“Being around them has been enough for me,” Walker confirmed. “Real cool guys, super down to earth and they are making it easy for me. I’m very comfortable. Now I’m thinking, as we do get to the regular season with the Celtics, I’m thinking it will be an easy transition because I’ve been around these guys for quite some time now. They have just kind of welcomed me with open arms, so it is pretty cool.”

Building strong relationships with his teammates is all the more important to Walker given his expected role with the team. As the starting point guard, he will be responsible for orchestrating Boston’s offense, so he needs to establish as much trust as possible with his colleagues.

“For me, I’m all about the camaraderie, I’m all about the togetherness,” the three-time All-Star claimed in mid-August. “I’ve always felt that your off-the-court relationships translate on the court. I’ve always felt that way, I’ve always been big on that, so that’s why I’m trying my best to get acclimated to those guys as best I can.”

As for the on-court relationships, Walker did a fine job of establishing those as well. He was Team USA’s most consistent player throughout the World Cup, as he led the squad in scoring (14.4 points per game) and facilitating (5.4 assists per game). He also displayed a phenomenal work ethic, as he would pick up full-court on defense, take charges and do all of the little things that contribute to winning.

“I enjoyed playing with him,” Tatum reflected after the tournament. “Spent quite a bit of time on the floor together, and he’s as good as advertised.”

While Walker’s greatest gain from the Team USA experience came in the form of team-building, his younger teammates – Brown and Tatum in particular – benefitted mostly from a developmental standpoint. Such is bound to happen for two rising stars while playing under the tutelage of a coaching staff that includes a five-time NBA champion in Popovich, an eight-time NBA champion in Steve Kerr (three as a coach, five as a player) and a two-time NCAA champion in Jay Wright, among others.

"They all have their own style and coaching traits,” Brown explained the day after camp began in Vegas. “It’s like different teachers have different ways of explaining and teaching.”

Those great coaching minds came together and were able to tap into Brown and Tatum’s skill sets in brand-new ways. In Brown’s case, the coaching staff took note of his strength and decided to experiment with him in the frontcourt. Suddenly, the wing was running pick-and-pop sets with the point guards on the offensive end, while guarding 4s and 5s on the defensive end.

Popovich even matched Brown up against 7-foot-1 France center Rudy Gobert, and Brown, the 6-foot-7, jack-of-all-trades held his own. Brown even scored a couple of buckets in the paint against the two-time defending NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

“Jaylen, he’s just a hard-nosed player,” Popovich said Aug. 26 after Brown had scored a team-high 19 points on 72.7 percent shooting during an exhibition win over Canada. “He understands what has to be done. He doesn’t care about anything, except playing with his teammates, winning, playing aggressively all the time, and he’s consistent in that regard. He does it all the time. He’s confident in his shot. He’s tough underneath.

“He’s a strong player,” Pop continued. “For his size and strength, he moves well. He can really penetrate. He can catch and pull or get to the rim. He's unselfish and will find other people. He works on defense. He’s just kind of an all-around player.”

Popovich also took great interest in helping Tatum grow, as he implored the wing to be more aggressive, while also being patient in his approach.

“The thing that I talked about with Pop a lot was being able to dominate and to have an impact on the game without scoring,” Tatum said after returning to the States. “Everybody has off nights, but how can you still find a way to be super dominant and affect the game in a positive way. Just making quick decisions, playing faster, getting to the basket more. Not trying to settle.”

Though Tatum was limited to just two games in China due to an ankle injury, he still made a significant impact as he averaged 10.5 points, a team-leading 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. During those two games, he also displayed the poise of a 10-year veteran. His composure was especially impressive during Team USA’s group stage game against Turkey, as he made multiple buckets down the stretch, including a pair of free throws at the end of regulation which sent the game into overtime.

Together, Tatum and Brown impressed the coaching staff to no end from Day 1 of Team USA camp, all the way through to the final day of the tournament.

"I just know that those two guys are great players,” Kerr emphasized five days into training camp. "They’re entering their third and fourth years, so they’re still very young, still blossoming, but they also have a great coach and a great organization.

“They’re on a hell of a path, and they’re only going to get better.”

Although Team USA fell short of its goal to win gold at the FIBA World cup, its players didn’t come home empty-handed. The memories that they created and the bonds that they forged will last a lifetime, and they will forever cherish those six weeks spent together during the Summer of 2019.

“It was really unfortunate that we couldn’t go out and win a gold,” Walker said upon returning to Boston. “But I had an amazing time, with some amazing people, great coaches. Coach Pop was amazing, and it was an honor to get the opportunity to play for him and USA basketball as well.”

Walker believes that their seventh-place finish had a silver lining, as there were lessons to be learned that can be carried into the upcoming NBA season.

“As far as what I've taken away, I think the sacrifices, you just have to make sacrifices when you're on a team like that with a whole bunch of players who are really good,” Walker explained. “And a lot of guys did. I think that's something that we’ll bring here. Guys have to make sacrifices, you have to sometimes be uncomfortable, you have to adjust sometimes to help your team win. You have to take on different roles that you might not like to. So there is something that we can bring here.”

They’ll also bring back the tools that they acquired and the attributes that they enhanced. Tatum, for example already looked like a much more confident player during Boston’s first preseason game, as he logged a game-high 20 points during 23 minutes of action, while making four layups and three 3-pointers.

“I see a different way, a different assertiveness in the right things,” C’s coach Brad Stevens said of Tatum’s play through the first week of training camp and preseason. “He’s practiced really hard, made a conscious effort to take the right shots and not be any less aggressive. He’s still really aggressive. And he’s defended - really defended. He’s made nice strides. I thought the U.S. stuff would benefit all those guys, but you can really see it in him.”

Another benefit is that each of those players who competed at the World Cup showed up to training camp in tip-top shape. That also includes Daniel Theis, who competed for Team Germany, and rookie Vincent Poirier, who suited up for the bronze-medal winning France squad.

But most important of all was the fellowship that was forged among those four Team USA members who represent most of the Celtics core.

“It feels good just to build that camaraderie right now, early on before the season even starts,” Smart had told NBC Sports Boston back in early August. “When it comes time to strap it on for the season, we kind of already have a hint of what everyone wants to do and a feel for everybody.”

Any team that hopes to contend needs a sense of camaraderie, and it’s always productive to form that chemistry before the season begins. The 2008 title-winning team was the perfect example, as it spent training camp in Rome where it formed the foundation of its championship identity.

“Everybody knows that when championship teams, when contenders are really great teams, they’ve got a special ‘mmmph’ to them, where you look and you’re like, 'Those guys, they’ve been together for a while,' or, 'Those guys, they really play well together,'” Smart said. “And that’s what we’re trying to build.”

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the-forging-of-team-shamrock

The Forging of 'Team Shamrock'

Kemba Walker produced his best performance of the FIBA World Cup Thursday, despite Team USA suffering its second straight loss. The Celtics point guard logged personal tournament highs of 18 points and eight assists, as he helped account for more than 40 percent of his squad’s scoring during a 94-89 loss to Serbia in Dongguan, China.

Walker shot 7-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, while also corralling four rebounds, snagging one steal and blocking one shot during 30 minutes of action. It was a strong bounce-back effort for the veteran guard, who was coming off of his most challenging effort of the tournament – a 10-point, assist-less outing against France Wednesday, which ended in an 89-79 defeat.

Fellow C’s teammate Jaylen Brown tallied four points and three rebounds Thursday, while finishing with a plus-8 rating in spite of the five-point defeat. However, team USA missed the presences of the other half of Team Shamrock, as Marcus Smart (left hand) and Jayson Tatum (left ankle) were both sidelined with minor injuries.

Serbia was boosted by a 28-point performance from Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, and also by the presence of Nuggets All-Star big man Nikola Jokic.

Team USA will play its final game of the World Cup Saturday at 4 a.m. EDT against Poland. The winner of that game will finish in seventh place.

One member of the Celtics remains in medal contention, as inbound rookie center Vincent Poirier and Team France, fresh off of an upset win over Team USA, will face Argentina Friday in the semifinals.