Before his injury during last year’s playoffs, Jayson Tatum was widely regarded as one of the NBA’s best players. Aside from being a prolific scorer, Tatum established himself as an elite rebounder, playmaker, and reliable defender, making him one of the most versatile players in the game.
Since returning from injury earlier this year, Jayson Tatum has been slowly but surely returning to his former self. Having averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 41.1% shooting from the field, Tatum looked promising. Unfortunately, recent offseason footage may raise some eyebrows.
Jayson Tatum is currently in China as part of the Jordan Brand Family Tour, along with other prominent figures such as Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, and Stephon Castle. At one of the events in Shanghai, however, the superstar drew considerable attention to himself when he missed ten consecutive free throws.
Jayson Tatum struggled at the free throw line in China 😬
(h/t @BackcourtAlerts) pic.twitter.com/rGTJUH64tc
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) August 27, 2026
While missing shots at such events is normal, ten consecutive misses as an elite professional is virtually unheard of. When you also factor in his career average of 83.9% shooting from the charity stripe, NBA fans had every reason to roast the Celtics‘ superstar. Here are some of their reactions to the clip on X:
“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.
While it was evident to most that Jayson Tatum wasn’t making much of an effort with his free-throw attempts, going 1-11 is still unacceptable. Still, this wasn’t the end of the forward’s misery.
During another event, Tatum was seen running a 1v1 drill against Slovenian hooper Gal Krajncic. Although the Celtics’ superstar was playing relatively passive defense, Krajncic took advantage of his stance and nutmegged him before going to the rim for an easy finish.
This kid nutmegged Jayson Tatum 🤣 @Jumpman23pic.twitter.com/qjW8jTBQb4
— Overtime (@overtime) August 28, 2026
Again, even though Jayson Tatum laughed it off, NBA fans on social media were ruthless, as they commented on the superstar’s outings in China.
“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.”
While it is easy to jump to conclusions and engage in catastrophic thinking after watching these clips, one can be assured that this will not be the standard of Jayson Tatum’s performance during the 2026-27 season.
Apart from his health, Jayson Tatum will also enter the upcoming season as the undisputed face of the Boston Celtics. Given his reputation as a superstar and a leader, Tatum is bound to turn things up a notch once the season begins.
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