Why Jayson Tatum can't wear #0 jersey for Team USA? FIBA kit rules and more explored

One of the members of the stacked Team USA roster for the Paris Olympics is Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum. NBA fans are used to seeing him with the number zero he wears on his jersey, but they will need to get used to the idea of him wearing a different number while playing on the international stage.

Tatum will wear the number 10 on his jersey when he represents the US in the Olympics. While it is true that FIBA used to only allow the numbers 4-15, this rule has been abolished and now allows 0, 00 and 1-99. However, Team USA opted to maintain the tradition of only allowing its players to wear numbers from 4-15.

In 2015, Craig Miller, a spokesperson for Team USA, explained why they decided to do this.

"The 4-15 is tradition and we can track who's worn them," Miller said (via FIBA.basketball). "A lot of famous players who have gone on to great careers started by wearing a number five or a 12 for example. It’s part of what we try to teach our guys, who came before them and the tradition they have to carry on."

Jayson Tatum is not the only player who will be wearing a different number in the Olympics because of this tradition.

Steph Curry will be wearing the number 4, Anthony Davis will wear 14, Devin Booker will wear 15, Kawhi Leonard will wear 8, Joel Embiid will wear 11, Jrue Holiday will wear 12 and Tyrese Haliburton will wear 9.

Meanwhile, LeBron James will wear 6, just like he did with the Miami Heat, and Kevin Durant will wear number 7, just like he did with the Brooklyn Nets.

The only players who will wear the same number as they do in the NBA are Bam Adebayo (13) and Anthony Edwards (5).

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Other prominent NBA players who wore the #10 jersey for Team USA before Jayson Tatum

Before Jayson Tatum, there have been some NBA legends who wore #10 for Team USA. Perhaps the most prominent is the late LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Bryant wore number 10 in 2008 and 2012. The USA won gold both times.

In 1992, Clyde Drexler wore #10 as a part of the legendary 'Dream Team' that featured other legends such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Tatum isn't the only Boston Celtics star to wear #10 for Team USA. In the 2000 Olympics, Kevin Garnett wore the very same number.

Jayson Tatum will have some big shoes to fill when the Olympics starts, and judging by his performance in the NBA in the past few seasons, he should be able to live up to the legends who wore them before him.