As Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics attended the 2024 NBA Championship ring ceremony and banner raising on October 22, the Illawarra Hawks head coach took an apparent break from his team’s training in Australia to observe the sport on his cell phone.

Yes, Justin Tatum was on the opposite side of the world holding back his completely happy emotions, nevertheless it was essential to him to see his son and the Celtics – who play the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET) – have fun in real time .

“I couldn’t miss this moment if my life depended on it,” Justin Tatum told Andscape. “My team and the organization understood that. I felt nothing but happiness and it was a sign of success that I used to be completely happy to see my son and his teammates succeed. I hope he has the chance to experience this over and over during his NBA career. I used to be just so completely happy for him.

Justin Tatum is attempting to win a championship as head coach of the Illawarra Hawks. He got here to the Illawarra after serving as probably the most successful highschool basketball coaches in Missouri, winning three state championships and 10 conference titles in 16 seasons at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis and Soldan High. His biggest highschool basketball challenge was coaching against his son — Justin Tatum went 1-9 against Jayson’s Chaminade High School.

Following a successful career as CBC Head Coach, Justin Tatum left on February 28, 2023 to grow to be a North American Scout and Special Advisor for Basketball Operations on the Illawarra. Illawarra Hawks majority owner Jared Novelly is from St. Louis, who like Justin Tatum also attended CBC and St. Louis University.

However, what began as a front office position evolved into an assistant coaching position on the Hawks staff under head coach Jacob Jackomas.

“If I wanted to challenge myself, this was my opportunity,” said Justin Tatum, 45. “I desired to be certain every little thing was OK with the pinnacle coach first. I didn’t want them to throw me out and say, “Hey, you’ve got to take this man.” We talked about it with the pinnacle coach and we felt that it might be a good opportunity for me to be here because I can be a mediator for the American players.

The Hawks parted ways with Jackomas after starting last season 2-7 and replaced him with Tatum. Under Tatum’s leadership, the Hawks finished the regular season with a 12-7 record, moving as much as fourth place in the NBL standings and securing a playoff spot. Last season, the Hawks had the 4th best offensive stats (118.0 offensive) and 2nd best defense (109.6 defensive). The Hawks advanced to the semi-finals of the 2024 NBL Playoffs before losing a three-game series to Melbourne United in late March.

“They released (Jackomas) in mid-November. I was the only person on our staff who had head coaching and playing experience,” said Tatum, who played professionally in the Netherlands. “It’s not that I used to be going to vary every little thing, but I used to be going to take a higher take a look at it then…

“I learned the league on the fly. When I got here, I did my homework. But when I found myself in a difficult situation, I had two solid assistant coaches who had coached in the league for a while. I spent nights with them, learning the names of the referees, other teams’ players, and what they ran. I had to learn the FIBA ​​rules.”

Said Jayson Tatum proudly: “They tagged him on interim and he went on a crazy run, making it to the playoffs and what would have been sort of our conference finals.”

Tatum also finished second in this season’s NBL Coach of the Year voting, just a few votes behind Melbourne United’s Dean Vickerman. Tatum was rewarded with a three-year contract with Illawarra before the beginning of the playoffs.

“He has earned the respect of his team, coaching staff and fans in a relatively short period of time, so I look forward to seeing what he is able to accomplish in the long term,” Hawks general manager Mat Campbell said in a statement regarding Tatum.

While away from the States, Justin Tatum at all times keeps an eye fixed on his son and the Celtics.

The Hawks are headquartered in Wollongong, a city of roughly 300,000 people positioned in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, roughly 50 miles south of Sydney. From St. Louis flight to Sydney and before departure to Wollongong takes roughly 21-28 hours and takes roughly 21-28 hours.

In Australia, Celtics games normally start at 11:00. On training days, Justin Tatum will watch the primary half at work and the second half at home. Time allows him to observe most Celtics games.

However, it’s much harder for Jayson Tatum to observe his father’s games as a result of the time difference.

“If we play at 2pm on a Sunday, on the East Coast where he is, it’ll be around 11am or midnight. It’s rolling the dice. But he’s at all times supportive. If he wakes up and sees that we won, he’ll re-tag or post that the Hawks won or dad was successful. He’ll watch the highlights and he knows we’re doing well,” Justin Tatum said.

After the top of the Hawks season, Justin Tatum was capable of see firsthand how his son “gets the monkey off his back” because the Celtics win a “well-deserved” NBA championship. Weeks after winning the NBA title, Jayson Tatum signed a five-year contract extension price as much as $315 million. However, Jayson Tatum also played sparingly for Team USA Basketball when it won the gold medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics and missed two contests.

Justin Tatum was in Paris for the Olympics and was confused by his son’s lack of playing time.

“It didn’t trouble me, if that made sense. If it made sense to not play it like a matchup,” Justin Tatum said. “But should you cannot make time for him or something, (US head coach) said Steve Kerr. This doesn’t make much sense. (Jayson) had a long season and a long summer, and I just desired to be certain he was healthy. I just desired to be certain that at the top of the day you already know that you simply are still among the finest players in the world. So whatever the coach’s decision or whether or not they determine they do not need you, as coaches we should not at all times right. We hope you are taking this as a sign of motivation, not disrespect. You are certainly one of the five best players. Keep your head up.

“He wasn’t good at not playing. But he wasn’t in the room sulking or throwing chairs, or it wasn’t a topic of dinner conversation. He said he could have stayed along with his family, stayed home or done what was true. But he was completely happy to win gold and never actually played with LeBron (James), Steph (Curry) or KD (Kevin Durant). Being around these guys was a great experience and a very powerful thing we talked about.

Justin Tatum says he misses his three children, two grandchildren and the straightforward things that family and residential offer.

“I definitely miss barbecues and home-cooked meals,” Tatum said. “Besides my family, I miss being lively doing something day by day. After training, if the weather is nice, I’ll play some golf, a quick nine holes. The remainder of the time there is downtime. There is not much to do. The food is great here. I do not really miss anything from home-cooked food except Pizza Hut.

“I’m in a good position going from the top of winter into spring. And then I come home and the top of spring turns into summer. So I actually have spring and summer all yr round. I only wear shorts and a sweatshirt here and there. My family comes here periodically. My daughter comes in December. Jayson cannot come because he’s playing at the identical time. But life is good here.

Said Jayson Tatum: “I talk to him every few days. He likes it there very much.”

Justin Tatum said there are “high-level talented guys” in the NBL. Former NBA players in the NBL include Montrezl Harrell, Ian Clark, Matthew Dellavedova, Matthew Hurt, Rob Edwards, Bryce Cotton and Derrick Walton Jr. NBL alumni in the NBA include Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng, Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Johnson and Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr. Moreover, 17-year-old New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez is a candidate for the 2026 NBA draft.

“And I’m not just talking about the former, current or wannabe NBA players that are here,” Justin Tatum said. “Australian players are unbelievably good. It’s very physical. There are a lot of things you’ll be able to’t avoid in the States, but here they let you might have fun.

Jastrzębie entered on Wednesday with the second-best record in the 10-team NBL league at 6-3, averaging 98.5 points per game. Justin Tatum said Illawarra’s offense and camaraderie were key to the Illawarra’s early success this season.

Justin Tatum dreams of sooner or later becoming an NBA coach. But now his biggest goal is for the Hawks to win their first title since 2001 after they were the Wollongong Hawks.

“He wants to educate in the NBA sooner or later as an assistant or at some level. It’s a stepping stone to the goal he was trying to achieve,” Jayson Tatum said.

After a physical altercation with a reporter who mentioned his son and deceased siblings in an article, Philadelphia 76ers player Joel Embiid was suspended by the NBA for three games.

According to , there might be a suspension start in the primary match wherein he’s eligible and in a position to play. Embiid has yet to play this young season. He is disciplined for pushing columnist Marcus Hayes after the 76ers’ loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on November 2.

“Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and the media in the NBA,” Joe Dumars, executive vp and head of Basketball Operations, said in a written statement. “While we understand that Joel was offended by the personal nature of the reporter’s original version of the column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and must never become physical.”

reported that Embiid was bad in Hayes after he mentioned his brother, who died in a automotive accident 10 years ago, and his son, Arthur, who was named after his deceased brother.

In the article, Hayes wrote: “Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son Arthur as a major turning point in his basketball profession. He often says he desires to be great and leave a legacy for a boy named after his younger brother, who tragically died in a automotive accident when Embiid was in the primary yr of his 76er profession.

After discovering that the paragraph had upset a 76ers player, Hayes took to social media to apologize and inform the general public that he had transcribed the passage.

So I reassigned the diode to my column and replaced the photo. I understand why so many individuals were upset about this. Sorry about that.

Thank you for all of the constructive criticism. https://t.co/GE8xIHc22z

— Marcus Hayes (@inkstainedretch) October 23, 2024

Embiid was not moved by the apology in any respect, as he mentioned the disrespect he received on November 1 while talking to reporters.

“Like this guy, he isn’t here, Marcus, whatever his name is, I’ve done way an excessive amount of for this fucking town to treat me like this. A hell of a lot has been done. I wish I might be as lucky as others, but that doesn’t suggest I’m not trying and doing every little thing in my power to be there soon.

On November 2, after a confrontation with a reporter, Embiid threatened him after which pushed Hayes away.

“Next time you mention my dead brother and son again, you’ll see what I’ll do to you and I’ll have to… live with the consequences,” Embiid told him.

It doesn’t appear to be almost three years have passed since one of Philadelphia’s favorite sons knocked the taste out of Chris Rock’s mouth. I remember the initial outrage and how people insisted this is able to be the top of Will Smith’s profession. In a fun twist of irony, a series of movies called “Bad Boys” brought Smith back to prominence and reminded people of his greatness.

I could not help but think of The Slap because the Philadelphia 76ers play center Joel Embiid – pushed columnist Marcus Hayes after the columnist made a cheesy shot in a single of his comments. It was a banner week for Philadelphia sports icons like former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce barbed a rowdy call on Penn State’s campus after a “fan” used a homophobic slur against his brother. Kelce apologized, saying he was met with “hate hate.” But is not that the American way?

These incidents were a reminder of how comfortable society is with crossing boundaries to attack athletes, but most individuals only discover with these conflicts when they turn into physical, resembling Kelce’s encounter or Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts versus several bandits in Yankees apparel through the World Series. But what happens when the media gets involved in these attacks?

The NBA’s investigation into the incident led to: suspension for 3 matches for Embiid. “Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and the media in the NBA,” Joe Dumars, NBA executive vp of basketball operations, said in an announcement. “While we understand that Joel was offended by the personal nature of the reporter’s original version of the column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and must never become physical.”

Dumars lacked professionalism and mutual appreciation long before Embiid lost his cool. From my perspective, the Push was not as damaging as this excerpt from Hayes’ short-sighted and insensitive column:

These lines have since been faraway from Hayes’ column, however the damage was done not only by these specific words, but in a general sense. Russell Westbrook’s response to a racist fan needs to be met not only with a swift reprimand, but additionally with actionable steps taken to stop such incidents from happening again. Because we treat athletes as in the event that they are part of the entertainment and not people, we allow incidents to occur because we consider they’re simply part of the circus.

This sense of politics amongst skilled leagues may be more common if some members of the media didn’t fan the flames with their very own antics. People go so far as to call it “journalism,” regardless that our industry will not be nearly reporting or the top product. It’s about how we engage with the community, whether we use words to construct or tear down.

It was hard for me to get mad at “The Slap” or “The Shove” because I understand America. Violence is irrevocably woven into our DNA, each in terms of poverty and politics. The nastiness we allow in our divisive and hyperpolarized politics – which has little room for decency, let alone democracy – has driven this country mad. What does a single punch or stabbing mean in a world where police brutality continues? When will violence against women, each within the family and in health care, proceed?

This generally is a challenge for individuals who need to separate politics from sports, but there has all the time been reciprocity between the 2. This is why LeBron James has to shut up and dribble while the San Francisco 49ers defense finalizes Nick Bosa’s headgear selections and Harrison Butker’s political kicks, regardless of how right-wing, are celebrated. Moreover, the old saying about “sticks and stones” when it involves words has all the time been intellectually dishonest. Words hurt, and what’s more, words are the start of the narrative that drives this particular industry, for higher or for worse. , you say?

When media corporations and their underlings, regardless of race and gender, step out of line in a distorted sense of holding athletes accountable, it’s a race to the underside and we’re all losing. Our industry is full of fast food hot takes that not only perpetuate the “fake news” narrative, but additionally devalue each the athlete and what people perceive as journalism.

When – says Embiid that he has done too much for this city for people to say he doesn’t need to play is a comment that goes beyond the court. Contrary to the narrative of individuals who don’t care, athletes put money into their communities in ways in which transcend superficiality or, for cynics, viewing charity as tax write-off. Less than a month ago, I went to Memphis and was impressed by how town has embraced fellow South Carolinian Ja Morant, flaws and all. His teammate, Jaren Jackson Jr., spoke persuasively about players’ conscientiousness when it involves their civil rights legacy on the Freedom Award, the National Civil Rights Museum’s premier event.

Embiid demonstrates this commitment to town in two ways, naming his charitable gestures “In Memory of Arthur.” The faces these initiatives serve are just like mine. And him. They are necessary to those of us who care about greater than just workload management and titles.

The prospect of a championship is really the ironic element of all this. Do you must see Embiid in November or through the playoffs? The Games definitely left their mark on him, but his presence was crucial for this country to win the gold medal. A person needs time to regain his full strength. It’s part of the Process, whether you prefer it or not.

Our industry needs a cultural reset. Our criticism of athletes and celebrities shouldn’t dehumanize them. When celebrities or athletes reply to terrible behavior in a fit of rage, it doesn’t make them any less human. This makes them more human because they repel darkness. Our industry should attempt to do the identical.