Paul George and Jayson Tatum went to New York on Sunday hoping to witness a momentous result in the 2024 men’s US Open final. The Italian Jannik Sinner and home crowd favorite Taylor Fritz battled for the title. Sinner, however, was ruthless in a clinical 6-3, 6-4 and 7-5 victory, silencing the home crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Fritz would have been the first American since Andy Roddick in 2003 to win the championship. Instead, George and Tatum watched Sinner dismantle the 2024 Olympic bronze medal winner. Despite Fritz’s loss, the two NBA superstars must have enjoyed the weather and the action inside the Flushing Meadows venue.
Jayson Tatum, in particular, had to have a blast as he is a big tennis fan. He once named the legendary Serena Williams as one of his biggest inspirations. Tatum called Williams, in an interview with NBC Sports, “the GOAT” in the sport for her “sustained level of greatness.”
Steph Curry also dropped by New York for some tennis action but he was there on Saturday. The Golden State Warriors icon visited the arena to watch the women’s US Open final won by Aryna Sabalenka against the American Jessica Pegula.
Paul George and Jayson Tatum will be rivals next season
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA championship at the expense of Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. To challenge the Celtics’ supremacy, the Philadelphia 76ers retooled, adding former LA Clippers star Paul George to the roster. “PG-13” joins a lineup that includes former MVP Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey.
Tatum and George have had interesting battles over the past years when “PG-13” went to Oklahoma and then to Los Angeles. Now that George is back in the Eastern Conference, he will see Tatum and Co. four times in the regular season. A Tatum-George matchup in a 76ers-Celtics series should be one of the most exciting one-on-one showdowns in the playoffs.
Jayson Tatum’s Celtics have been the Philadelphia 76ers’ biggest stumbling blocks in the Joel Embiid era. Tatum is 12-4 in the postseason against “The Process.” Boston reached the East finals in six of the last eight years and broke through with a championship this year. Philly will hope Paul George’s arrival can change that trend.
