The Celtics have three representatives on the Team USA roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday are hoping to add a second gold medal to their resumes, while Derrick White is aiming to win his first. After the Olympics, the trio will have a short break before they return to Boston and help the Celtics defend their title. But they shouldn’t expect any tips on how to do it from their compatriots on Team USA.
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During a press conference, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry were asked whether they would advise their teammates on how to repeat as champions. The duo led the Golden State Warriors to back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. No team since has defended the NBA title. Both know what it takes to lead a franchise to two straight titles, but neither is willing to help the Celtics trio.
When answering the question, Durant’s competitive spirit kicked in and he said,
“I won’t give them any advice. None. They have a great team so I’m sure they’re already thinking about what it’s like to repeat but it’s tough to do in our league. But we’ll see what happens.”
Three Celtics on Team USA. Reporter asked if they’re talking about the championship.
“Not at all,” KD joked. “We got champs on the team, they just the most recent.”
Any advice for repeating?
Both Steph and KD laugh, with KD saying, “I won’t give them any.”
— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) July 25, 2024
Durant noted that Tatum, Holiday, and White haven’t discussed the Celtics’ title win since arriving at Team USA’s training camp. The Phoenix Suns superstar also claimed that the Celtics trio respected the game and their teammates enough to never brag about winning the championship.
He added that like the rest of the roster, their solitary focus has been on preparing for the Paris Olympics and helping the nation return with a gold medal. While Durant answered the question, Curry nodded and approved of everything his former teammate had to say.
The veteran forward’s response is quite telling about the mindset of the Celtics players on the Team USA roster. Joel Embiid is busy claiming some of the players are on the team due to their names and aren’t as good as they used to be, and admitting that he’s jealous about Tatum’s supporting cast. But the Celtics trio is focused on building chemistry with their superstar teammates and answering their team’s call when needed.
The Celtics will look to become only the second team in the last 14 years to repeat as champions. However, Tatum, Holiday, and White aren’t worried about that. They want to add a gold medal to their trophy collection and will turn their attention to repeating as NBA champions when the time comes.
