On Wednesday, Jayson Tatum got the start for Team USA, helping them to a 103-86 win over South Sudan. The victory improved them to 2-0 in group play, but Tatum only played in one of the contests.
Team USA opened up their Olympic play with a win over Serbia, but Tatum never saw the floor. Head coach Steve Kerr decided to go with a 10-man rotation, and Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton were left out. The controversial decision made waves across the basketball world.
Afterward, Kerr noted that he “felt like an idiot” not playing Tatum but emphasized how professional the Celtics star was. Kerr went with lineups he felt made the most sense, which included guys like Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White playing over Tatum.
Jayson Tatum calls getting benched by Team USA ‘a humbling experience’
Following his return to the floor against South Sudan, Tatum finally got a chance to speak about getting benched, calling it a “humbling experience.”
"It's a unique situation, and it's not about one individual player, competitor in you wants to play obviously, but I'm not here to make a story about myself," Tatum said via BasketNews. "You win a championship, new contract, NBA 2K25 cover, Sports Illustrated... so after all of this, it's definitely a humbling experience."
In his start against South Sudan, Tatum played 17:20. He put up four points, five rebounds, two assists, and one block while shooting 2-of-4 from the floor.
While his performance was nothing to write home about, he did a solid job of crashing the glass, acting as a connector on offense, and utilizing his length on the defensive end.
"We won. I was just glad to get back out there and play again, as there was a lot of chatter over the last few days," he said.
Above all, Tatum has made his mindset clear—anything for the team. With LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry leading the way, there are only so many shots to go around.
For Tatum, that means playing a role he is wholly unused to. All season in Boston, he was the focal point. The Celtics ran their offense through him, and he helped them win a championship.
Now, on Team USA’s quest for gold, Tatum will need to get comfortable playing in a complementary role. And considering how cold his three-point shooting has been for months, that could mean a lot of cutting, connecting, and defensive effort.
It’s a big shift in mentality, but considering how unselfish Tatum was en route to Boston’s 18th banner, he’ll be just fine.