Jayson Tatum became a major storyline for Team USA at the outset of the Olympics. But it wasn’t for what the Boston Celtics star did on the court.
Tatum got caught in a controversial moment when head coach Steve Kerr elected to bench the five-time NBA All-Star for Team USA’s Olympic-opening win over Serbia. Not many bought Kerr’s explanation for not playing Tatum, either.
Kerr made sure Tatum wasn’t glued to the bench in Wednesday’s 103-86 win over South Sudan. Tatum was in the starting lineup and played 17 minutes as Team USA secured a spot in the Olympic quarterfinals.
Tatum addressed Kerr’s decision for the first time following the win over South Sudan and as he has done throughout his Celtics career, he said all the right things.
“The competitor in you wants to play, obviously,” Tatum told reporters, per The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. “But I’m not here to make a story or make it about myself. We won. I was glad to just get back out there and play again because there was a lot of chatter over the last few days. But I was in good spirits. I had a good attitude about it. It was fine. As a competitor, you want to play, but I’m not holding any grudges or anything.”
Tatum could have tried to showcase his elite talent and take over the offense for Team USA against South Sudan after being benched. But Tatum continued to play in the flow of the team construct.
The 26-year-old took just four shots and finished with four points, five rebounds, two assists and one block.
Getting benched certainly was a unique position for Tatum, given his stature in the NBA. He called it a “humbling experience” and it helped him gain a new perspective, too.
“There’s a lot you can take from it,” Tatum said. “You can be frustrated that you want to play as a competitor, but maybe have some empathy for some guys on my (Celtics) team that don’t always get to play or play spot minutes. So, learning experience to see it from that point of view, and just move on from it.”
