Jayson Tatum’s trip through China has given NBA fans a couple of clips they won’t be forgetting anytime soon, and neither one helped his image.
The Celtics star is in China for the Jordan Brand Family Tour with Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, and Stephon Castle, but the attention around him in Shanghai quickly shifted away from the event itself. In one clip, Tatum missed 10 straight free throws, a rough sequence that stood out even more because of his career 83.9% mark from the line. The result was the kind of social media pile-on that comes fast when a player of his caliber has an off moment.
“Awkward…” shared one user.
“We’re about to take that Jordan brand away,” added another.
“It’s a carnival rim,” stated one fan, attempting to defend Tatum.
“He was thinking of someone,” joked another, sharing a GIF of Jaylen Brown.
“He’s always been mentally weak without JB being his anchor, but I want to see it in an actual game,” noted one fan.
“Shanghai really put him in the free-throw trenches,” reacted one fan.
“Oh my gosh! You may as well call the season now! Loser,” claimed one particularly distraught user.
“This is who y’all got beating the Heat?” taunted another.
“Apparently the rim height is non-standard,” one user defended.
“Bro building the Great Wall over there… Brick by brick,” roasted one fan.
Tatum’s struggles at the line drew plenty of jokes, and the sequence ended with him going 1-11. But the rough afternoon didn’t stop there.
At another event, Tatum took part in a 1v1 drill against Slovenian hooper Gal Krajncic. Tatum was playing fairly passive defense, and Krajncic used the space to slip the ball through his legs before finishing at the rim.
“This kid nutmegged Jayson Tatum 🤣 @Jumpman23” was the caption attached to the clip.
The reaction online stayed brutal.
“Jayson Tatum getting humbled by someone who probably still has a bedtime is hilarious actually,” one user commented.
“After the airballs and the bricks,” said another, referencing the earlier clip.
“Celtics fans in absolute shambles. I love it,” one fan added.
“First, he went 0-40 at the FT line, and now he’s getting nutmegged by kids #itsover,” joked another.
“He’s about to have the worst season possible,” one user proclaimed.
“Get this man out of China ASAP,” suggested another fan.
“Tatum on a Hall of Shame tour,” another noted.
“The longer he stays in China, the more his talent is gone,” observed a third.
Along with the several eloquently phrased comments, one user summed up Tatum’s display by sharing, “Trash.”
Even with the clips making the rounds, there’s no reason to treat them like a preview of what’s coming next season. Tatum is expected to be healthy, and he’ll go into the 2026-27 season as the clear face of the Boston Celtics.
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