The biggest storyline entering the season revolved around the defending champions. They were upset. Not only did the reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown not travel for the Olympics, but Jayson Tatum had to endure hardships. With Steve Kerr as the head coach of the decorated contingent, he barely got minutes. So on the night the Celtics and Warriors played, it was naturally dubbed to be his ‘revenge game’.

Tatum denied all the allegations. However, from his mannerisms, Draymond Green felt something else. Surprisingly, the Warriors forward openly admitted to being dumbfounded by his good friend not getting minutes under Kerr during the Olympics. And with the Bay now finding it hard to stay balanced only winning 4 of their last 15 games, he feels Tatum’s rage could haunt them.

“Looking back at that situation was there something that could have been done different because now he got this vengeance against us. And I’m not sure he got that same vengeance against y’all T-Lue. But now he got this vengeance against us that we don’t really need,” he asked Ty Lue.

The Clippers head coach wasn’t just an assistant but he is also related to Jayson Tatum. Calling him ‘Little J’, Lue admitted the benching taking a toll on the Celtics ace. However, despite his trying to encourage Tatum throughout the journey, he doesn’t have any bias towards family.

“So that’s my cousin so I feel bad for him. But you know, we talked every single day. But the biggest thing for me, I’m not going to go against the coach’s decision. If I’m the coach, I’m going to stand in whatever decision they make. You would never hear me say I disagree,” the Clippers HC said about Tatums limited minutes on The Draymond Green Show.

What did make him “proud” though is how Jayson Tatum presented himself during the entire tournament. There was never any opposition or reaction from Tatum. “I liked the way JT carried himself. How he was professional, he didn’t try to go home. Like I said, the guy has been first-team All-NBA three years in a row coming off winning a championship. Won a gold medal back in 21′ so it was tough for him” Ty Lue revealed.

Does Jayson Tatum hold any resentment toward Steve Kerr?

In the game in early November against the Warriors, the atmosphere was tense. Steve Kerr heard the jars of the harsh TD Garden crowd. And as the game progressed the animosity was effervescent. In the chaos, Jayson Tatum seemed ultra-focused. He dropped 32 points in the loss to the Warriors.

As far as numbers are concerned, JT did seem to have a kick in each step. However, while the Celtics ace feels most people want him to gold grudges, that never passed his mind. After the game he dismissed any need for revenge and stated he only had one intention on his mind during the contest.

“It wasn’t on my mind. Just another Wednesday… Another opportunity to come in and try to be the best player I can be. Another day to just try to get a win,” Jayson Tatum told the media.

In hindsight, Tatum never had discredited the veteran coach for his decision. When speaking of the Olympics, the reigning All-NBA forward did admit it was a tough challenge. However, to him, staying professional and supporting the team in whatever proximity was far important than his personal feelings.

So even when on the bench, he empowered the star-studded Team USA. As for his position goes, 2028 will present an opportunity for Jayson Tatum to be the ace on Team USA as the next gen will takeover. Not only will it be a chance to become a three-time gold medalist, but also the ultimate redemption for his Paris outing.