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Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum was baffled by the technical foul called on him for hanging on the rim following a made shot on Friday. He argued that it was a legal move to protect himself from getting injured.
The questionable call was made late in the second quarter of their NBA In-Season Tournament game against the Orlando Magic. ‘J.T.’ received a pass from Kristaps Porzingis down the lane and he then soared for a jam.
He, however, hung on the rim for a few seconds as Magic player Paolo Banchero was near the landing spot. The Celtics star was still called for a technical foul for it.
Speaking after the game by way of Yahoo! Sports, the 25-year-old former Duke player expressed his displeasure with the call and urged the league to maybe reconsider the rule. Jayson Tatum said:
“That’s a rule that they implemented that quite frankly I don’t think makes any sense. Because anybody who has ever played or dunked the ball, your momentum, you just try to make sure that you are stable when you land. You don’t want anyone underneath you. Maybe they just want me to let go and just land on my back.”
Check out what he had to say below, beginning at 3:54:
Jayson Tatum is the latest NBA star to speak out against the rim-hanging rule, which also has fans and media raising a howl over, as they see it disrupting the flow of games and capping the excitement.
Incidentally, the Celtics lost to the Magic, 96-113, their first loss in the In-Season tournament, dropping them to a 2-1 record.
Jayson Tatum sad to see Robert Williams III leave Celtics
While the Boston Celtics are doing well in the ongoing NBA Season, Jayson Tatum was nonetheless saddened that their former starting center Robert Williams III had to leave in the offseason because of a trade.
Williams was sent to the Portland Trail Blazers along with Malcolm Brogdon and other assets for All-Star guard Jrue Holiday.
Tatum said the development was tough to accept initially but wished his former teammate all the best moving forward. He wrote on his Instagram story:
“This one hurt. My brotha right here. Toughest part about this business, appreciate you for everything.”
“Super proud of the player you have become and excited to see how far you take it. Keep striving to be special and never change who you are. My dawg 4L (for life) till we link up again. Nothing but love.”
Unfortunately for Williams, his Trail Blazers journey was cut short as he suffered a knee injury and is out for the season. In the six games he played in Portland, he averaged 6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks.
