Jayson Tatum Calls Out The Referee For Not Calling A Foul When Giannis Antetokounmpo Aggressively Closed Out On Him

Jayson Tatum, and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Image Credit: Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics looked like a champion side as they handed the Milwaukee Bucks their eighth straight loss this season. Securing a 113-107 finish, the Celtics will be looking to continue their merry run in this year’s NBA. Interestingly, the victory was not the primary focus of the game. Before the match began, the face-off between Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo was heavily hyped.

And surely enough, they clashed. But not in a way that the fans might have liked. During the game, Tatum took a shot from outside the left corner. Antetokounmpo looked alert and attempted to block the shot from creating any damage for the Bucks. Unfortunately, the Bucks star’s defensive attempt nearly spelled doom for Tatum. The 26-year-old got roughed up and almost twisted his ankle.

Surprisingly, the referee saw no foul play and asked for the game to go on. Enraged by the incident, the Celtics’ star called out the referee. Doubling down on the fact that the referees were supposed to protect the players, Tatum told the media, “It’s a tough situation… But certain calls I feel like [referees] can’t miss. Your job is to protect the guys on the court, protect the shooter. That’s something I could’ve been out for six weeks… for it to be a no-call… that s**t is frustrating.”

Tatum further took to his X account and took one more dig at the referees. He wrote, “Smfh… some calls you just not supposed to miss.” Luckily for Tatum, he did not suffer an injury and also contributed significantly to his team’s win. Tatum dropped 31 points and 12 rebounds to see his team through. Despite doing a decent job for the Celtics, Tatum recently revealed the one team he dreamt of playing in.

Jayson Tatum Reveals His Dream NBA Team

The Los Angeles Lakers have always mesmerized their fans with some quality play. Thus, it is no wonder that several top-flight NBA talents have listed the Lakers as their dream team. Adding to the list is Jayson Tatum, who confessed his desires on the Club 520 Podcast. Speaking with Jeff Teague, Tatum stated when the Lakers had the opportunity to pick their No.2 from the draft, Tatum wished it was him.

The 26-year-old stated, “I grew up a Kobe fan. I always wanted to play for the Lakers. For them to have the No. 2 pick, it wasn’t even thought that I was going to get drafted. That was kinda devastating. So, I never worked out for the Lakers. They never came to watch me work out.”

Well, Tatum must not be having a lot of regrets. He has already established himself as a top prospect and is doing wonders for the Celtics. Thus, with his form ascending, what happens next remains to be seen.