Jayson Tatum Shares Feelings On Being Benched By Team USA

Photo: Instagram/Jayson Tatum

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was benched during Team USA's 110-84 win over Serbia on July 28. After the game, Team USA head coach Steve Kerr admitted he felt like an "idiot" for not playing Tatum, a key NBA player. Kerr then put Tatum in the starting lineup for Team USA's game against South Sudan on Wednesday.

In the match against South Sudan, Team USA won 103-86. Tatum scored four points and grabbed five rebounds in 17 minutes of play.

After getting the chance to play, Tatum shared his thoughts on being benched in the first game. "You win a championship, new contract, NBA 2K25, Sports Illustrated... So, after all of this, it's definitely a humbling experience," Tatum said.

Photo: Instagram/Jayson Tatum

Tatum recently won his first NBA title with the Celtics and signed a five-year, $315 million contract extension. He is also the cover athlete for NBA 2K25.

Despite his star status, Tatum had to take a backseat against Serbia due to veterans like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant being in the lineup.

Tatum finished the 2023–24 NBA season averaging 26.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, ranking him as the No. 7 scorer in the league. He played a key role in Boston's playoff success with a 16-3 record.


At 26 years old, Tatum has already competed in the Tokyo Games in 2020 and has three gold medals from non-Olympic international competitions.

Tatum and Team USA will play again at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 3 at 11:15 a.m. ET against Puerto Rico.

Read Next: Steve Kerr Explains Why Joel Embiid Didn't Play Against South Sudan

Source: ATHLON SPORTS 

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