Why is Jayson Tatum not playing for Team USA in FIBA World Cup 2023?

Jayson Tatum is not part of Team USA's roster that will travel to the Philippines for the FIBA World Cup 2023 (August 25 - September 10).

Jayson Tatum likely chose not to play in the upcoming FIBA World Cup as he wants to focus on the Boston Celtics' upcoming season after falling to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Tatum also suffered an injury in Game 7 of the conference finals and would want to fully recover from that over the summer.

While Tatum did get back on the court after clearly injuring his ankle, he was a shell of himself and could not help the Celtics win the highly-anticipated Game 7. If the Celtics had won, it would be the first time in NBA history that a team comes back from down 3-0 to win the series.

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Who is on the Team USA roster for FIBA World Cup?

The Team USA roster does not have any all-time great NBA players. In fact, none of the players who participated in and won the gold medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo are listed on this year's FIBA World Cup roster. The roster is made up of young players, albeit ones with great upside and potential.

Here is the full Team USA roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup:

1. Jalen Brunson
2. Tyrese Haliburton
3. Anthony Edwards
4. Austin Reaves
5. Josh Hart
6. Brandon Ingram
7. Mikal Bridges
8. Cameron Johnson
9. Jaren Jackson Jr.
10. Paolo Banchero
11. Walker Kessler
12. Bobby Portis

Team USA will have great frontcourt defense with Jaren Jackson Jr. who won the Defensive Player of the Year award this year. In the backcourt, Team USA will feature promising players like Anthony Edwards and Austin Reaves who have an aggressive personality and can impact winning at a high level.

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Team USA will miss Jayson Tatum at the FIBA World Cup

USA v Turkey: Group E - FIBA World Cup 2019

Last time, Tatum helped Team USA win the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Taum averaged 15.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks in six games.

Tatum was an important piece for Team USA and has only improved ever since. In fact, winning the Olympics put him in a special category when it comes to FIBA history.

Tatum has had a lot of success in FIBA as compared to other players. He was especially great in the U19 FIBA World Cup.

Jayson Tatum will definitely be missed in the upcoming FIBA World Cup. He is arguably one of the best players in the NBA at the moment and it would've been special to watch him play this summer.