Well, Steve Kerr can rest easy. The Team USA head coach has been receiving the short end of the stick since sidelining Jayson Tatum in the Olympic opener against Serbia. Fresh off the NBA championship win, the Celtics fans found it disrespectful that the Bay Area mastermind would restrict JT from the 12-man roster Team USA has. In his defense, his position is such that deciding on whom to play means stepping on someone’s toes.

The closest to the famous ‘Dream Team,’ (some say it’s even better), this year’s Team USA boasts world-renowned talent. In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Steve Kerr holds the basketball powerhouse in his very palm with this squad. While it looks glamorous, the responsibility that comes with it is such that no one would envy Kerr’s position.

And it seems like Jayson Tatum understood that. Or at least his words seem to reveal such understanding. Ahead of the South Sudan matchup, Kerr promised that the 26-year-old would play. True to his words, the ex-Duke product was among the starters. Opening up about the controversial situation, Jayson said, “It’s a unique situation, and it’s not about one individual player.”

“The competitor in you wants to play, obviously. But I’m not here to make a story, making it about myself. We won. I was just glad to get back out there and play again today. There was a lot of chatter over the last few days but I was in good spirits, I had a good attitude about it. I’m not holding any grudges or anything.”

The 2024 NBA champion also dubbed the whole Olympic opener experience as ‘humbling.’ “You win a championship, new contract, NBA 2K25 cover, Sports Illustrated… so after all of this, it’s definitely a humbling experience.” It seems like Jayson Tatum was indeed not too affected by the snub despite the chatter going around him.

Either he knew there would be scenarios like this coming into a team led by the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, etc. Or he’s just an incredibly understanding and patient man.

Whatever the reason, fans were glad to see the Celt back in the starting lineup. So how did he fare against a pesky South Sudan team?

Jayson Tatum holds his own as Coach Royal Ivey’s boys crumble under the master strokes of the 9x NBA champion coach

While JT’s stats did not particularly jump out at you, the 5x All-Star stood his ground. After going scoreless in the first half, Tatum finished his Olympic debut with four points, five rebounds, two assists, and one block, clocking in 17 minutes. But perhaps, what stood out most to the keen-eyed analysts and basketball pundits would be how Kerr chose to go with a wing-heavy starting five.

The 58-year-old’s decisions might invite heavy ridicule, but there’s no questioning his ingenuity. The South Sudan Bright Stars are the lowest-rated team in the Olympics at 33rd in the FIBA World Rankings (per ESPN). But anyone watching the Sudanese team knows that the technicalities do not do justice to the talent they boast.

And Kerr’s game plan brings it full circle. Deploying a wing-heavy starting five with James at the point guard position and Tatum at power forward ensured they were evenly matched against the fast-paced, three-point shooters that South Sudan has. The second group of defensive stalwarts combined with the offensive firepower of Anthony Edwards and Kevin Durant set the tone for a certain blowout victory.

After taking a 2-0 lead in Group C, Steve Kerr had a few words for all the naysayers out there. “We’re just trying to win every game and win a gold medal, and it’s an incredibly pure feeling — and the guys are committed to each other.” 

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.