Jayson Tatum is in China promoting his shoe line with Jordan Brand, but a fan interaction quickly turned into something the Boston Celtics superstar probably wishes he could have edited out.
During one of his highly anticipated appearances, Tatum joined fans for a free-throw shooting session. What followed was an unusually rough spell for one of the NBA’s best shooters, giving social media a field day.
NBA Community Mocks Jayson Tatum After Celtics Star Misses 10 Straight Free Throws in China
A clip from the event has since gone viral. Tatum obliged fans by stepping up to a makeshift basket and taking free throws, only to miss his first 10 attempts.
The crowd’s reaction made the sequence even more painful. Every miss was met with another collective groan, turning what was supposed to be a fun fan moment into an increasingly awkward shooting clinic.
Then came No. 11.
Tatum finally found the bottom of the net and immediately raised both arms as the crowd celebrated. At that point, one free throw seemingly felt like a game-winner.
The Fans in China just wanted to see Jayson Tatum make one free throw pic.twitter.com/V1TDVLnv5t
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 27, 2026
The six-time All-Star’s 0-for-10 start quickly became social-media material.
“Bro building the Great Wall over there… brick by brick,” a basketball observer did not hold back.
Bro building the Great Wall over there… brick by brick
— yac (@yac_b0) August 27, 2026
“Awkward,” an X user summarized Tatum’s experience in one word.
“Jayson Tatum doesn’t realize what he just did for NBA Twitter,” Kyrie Center posted.
Jayson Tatum doesn’t realize what he just did for NBA Twitter 💔 https://t.co/Ms7fnm7d1i
— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenter) August 27, 2026
“This going Triple platinum on slander Twitter,” another X user predicted.
Even Tatum’s son, Deuce, was pulled into the jokes.
“Better start teaching Deuce Mandarin,” another basketball supporter quipped.
Better start teaching Deuce mandarin pic.twitter.com/x3uKN7sGME
— C (@Chiaveli777) August 28, 2026
Naturally, the Celtics’ polarizing Jaylen Brown trade also found its way into the conversation.
“When Boston realizes they traded the wrong player,” a Los Angeles Lakers supporter reacted.
Not everyone was ready to pile on Tatum, though. Some Celtics fans preferred to view the episode as nothing more than an early-season warm-up.
“Getting his misses out before the season starts,” a self-proclaimed diehard Celtics fan pushed back.
Getting his misses out before the season starts pic.twitter.com/HJtvIyUsX3
— CelticsEP (@Celtics_EP) August 28, 2026
That defense has some merit. Tatum has been a reliable free-throw shooter throughout his nine-year NBA career, converting 83.9% of his attempts, making the 0-for-10 stretch all the more bizarre.
Still, the timing makes the jokes easier to understand.
The Celtics traded Brown this offseason, leaving Tatum as the unquestioned centerpiece of a franchise that has won more championships than any team in NBA history. The 6-foot-8 forward now carries an even larger share of the expectations in Boston.
Maybe Tatum was just getting all the misses out of his system before the real games begin. Either way, China got a memorable visit from one of the NBA’s biggest stars, and Tatum left behind 10 bricks, one make, and enough material to keep NBA Twitter busy for days.
