Celtics

Jayson Tatum played against South Sudan after ‘humbling’ benching

“As a competitor you want to play, but I’m not holding any grudges or anything.”

Jayson Tatum, of the United States, grabs a rebound against South Sudan at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France. Brian Snyder / Pool Photo via AP

By Sanjana Mishra

August 1, 2024

Jayson Tatum was back as a starter in the U.S. men’s basketball lineup during Wednesday night’s game against South Sudan after what he called a “humbling” benching on Sunday.

Coach Steve Kerr faced backlash after relegating Tatum to the sidelines during the U.S. opener against Serbia. Many found this unusual coming off of a championship win for the Celtics, which led to Tatum signing a five-year, $315 million contract (the largest in NBA history) and appearing on the cover of NBA 2K25.

“The competitor in you wants to play, obviously,” Tatum told the Boston Globe. “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.”

The U.S. team has secured a spot in the quarterfinals with their 103-86 victory over South Sudan. The two faced off in London earlier this month for an exhibition game, with the American team gaining a very narrow 101-100 win. So for Wednesday night’s game, Kerr said he needed a versatile lineup to take them on.

“The whole game was really about switching, staying in front of people, not letting them break us down,” Kerr told the Boston Globe. “So we just went with a change in the lineup. That’s how we’re going to do this. Whatever we need to do to win each game, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Tatum had 4 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in Wednesday’s play, his first shot a 3-pointer that bounced off the backboard. Kerr switched him out for Kevin Durant in the fourth quarter and said he will continue to try different combinations of players to give the U.S. the best chance at winning gold next week.

With just 40 minutes in an Olympic game, it is difficult to get all 12 players out on the court, Kerr said. Last night, Joel Embiid was the one sitting out, but he will play against Puerto Rico on Saturday in the group phase finale.