Jayson Tatum “frozen” by US team at 2024 Olympics: An unforgettable experience

From a $300 million star, NBA champion and a host of achievements, Jayson Tatum suddenly became a reserve player who won’t play a single second at the 2024 Olympics.

Completely “frozen” on the bench in the match between the US and Serbia 4 days ago, Jayson Tatum went from being a star in the Boston Celtics team that just won the 2024 NBA championship to being the “water carrier and orange cutter” for his teammates at the 2024 Olympics.

This was a reasonable but extremely bold decision by head coach Steve Kerr. It surprised many fans and even Tatum did not believe it.

Jayson Tatum (standing, far right) did not play a single second in the US vs. Serbia match.

Sharing with reporters after being trusted to be in the starting lineup for the match against South Sudan, the player who inherited the number 10 shirt from the late legend Kobe Bryant said that this was an experience he did not expect.

“ It’s not easy because this is a big playground. But I also understand that at the Olympics, there is no personal factor or favoritism for any player, the top priority is the success of the team ,” said Jayson Tatum.

From NBA champion, Tatum becomes the “orange juice carrier” for teammates at the 2024 Olympics
“ I am not here for myself, but because I want to make history with my teammates and seniors with the gold medal. However, I must admit that I feel like I am brought back to earth.

Just won the NBA championship, got a huge contract extension, was on the cover of NBA 2K25 or Sports Illustrated… and then sat on the bench. An experience that shows the story of the Olympics is completely different ,” Tatum added.

After not letting his student play any second in the match against Serbia, US head coach Steve Kerr confirmed that he will let Jayson Tatum play against South Sudan.

The promise was fulfilled when Tatum did not play but played in the starting lineup. Although he did not leave much of an impression, the NBA champion had 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block in the first 17 minutes of play at the Paris Olympics.

Jayson Tatum played in the win over South Sudan with his teammates, playing 17 minutes and scoring 5 points.
Sharing the same fate as Jayson Tatum in the previous match was Tyrese Haliburton. The Indiana Pacers star also played in this match, scoring 6 points with 2 successful 3-pointers in 8 minutes on the court.

The player who had to sit out the entire match against South Sudan for the US team was Joel Embiid, who was informed by coach Steve Kerr that he would “definitely be used” in the final group stage match against Puerto Rico.

“ At the end of the day, what we all want is not how many minutes we play. What I personally and I believe this team wants is victory and a gold medal.

We have 12 players who are always ready, whether they are starting or on the bench, they will bring 100% of their strength to help the team win. The proof is that the second team helped us win against South Sudan today ,” captain LeBron James shared.

Jayson Tatum admits the experience of being “frozen” on the bench wasn’t pleasant, even though he accepted it.

The 103-86 victory of the US team over South Sudan helped coach Steve Kerr’s team earn their second win at the 2024 Olympics, and extended the unbeaten streak of this squad to 7 matches (if counting the 5 friendlies before the Olympics).

The US is currently one of four teams that have secured early tickets to the quarterfinals. The other three names are host France, Canada and current FIBA ​​World Cup champion – Germany.