Team USA’s Gold quest in Paris is going to be one of the most talked about Olympic runs in history. Why is that? Well, the USAB committee quite literally assembled the best players of the modern era to compete in Paris. Besides, the team also featured the most awaited trio, LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant. These three were the main protagonists of the squad, supported by players like Embiid, Davis, Tatum, ANT, and others. However, the reigning NBA champion, Jayson Tatum became the most talked about player following the semi-final game.

It was due to Tatum’s DNP in the game against Serbia. Now, this wasn’t the first time Tatum sat the whole game. In Team USA’s first matchup against the Serbians, the story was no different. According to Steve Kerr, he didn’t choose to add Tatum to the line-up due to the combinations, terming it as a ‘math problem’. Steph Curry didn’t have much of a different answer to Tatum’s playing time either. Of course, the squad’s goal was to win gold no matter what. While that was the focus throughout, it might not have been the reason for JT’s two DNPs.

Curry couldn’t have aligned better with Kerr’s mindset. “There’s a lot of noise around our team. I don’t envy [Kerr’s] position to find minutes for everybody. Rotations are hard. At the end of the day, it’s about winning,” said Steph. Quite frankly, Steph got the job done in the playoffs by himself. His 36-point bomb on Serbia and a 24-point night versus France sealed the gold medal for the Americans. Yes, it was all about winning for the Chef. But from Tatum’s point of view, his limited playing time in the Olympics does affect his legacy as one of the best players in the league.

There are a lot of factors that come into play when talking about Tatum’s DNPs. He’s the reigning NBA champ, the only player on the team who made the All-NBA First team (Also the only American out of the five in the First team), and he’s also on the cover of SI. It is safe to say that the 26-year-old had one of the most successful years of his career so far.

How does Tatum respond to missing out on major playing time in the Olympics? Well, he’s certainly not happy, as JT’s recent Instagram story featured an X post that said, “WE WILL AVENGE JAYSON TATUM”. And for the most part, this is not good news for his opponents in the league.

JT will be a problem the next time he faces Steph Curry and the Dubs

The Olympic tour is enough fuel for Tatum to get back in the zone. Regardless of his playing time, he did spend time with his family following the final game, celebrating his second Olympic gold and now he will be keen to respond when the NBA season commences, especially when he faces Steph Curry and company. JT will be back with more fire against Steve Kerr’s Warriors as well. And the worst part for the Warriors fans is that Tatum is not alone. Jaylen Brown, who was snubbed from playing for the national team, will also be on a mission to prove a point.

This upcoming season, the Celtics will be a scary team to face with two of their best players looking to send a statement. As for the matchup against the Warriors, it will be interesting to see Tatum go all out against Steve Kerr. The NBA world is well aware of what JT deserved while playing in the Olympics. It would’ve been great to see Tatum leave it all on the floor in Paris. Nevertheless, the Celtics star will now be heading back to the training camp with the regular season just over two months away.

What are your thoughts on JT’s lack of playing time in the Olympics? Do you think Tatum would’ve been a solid performer in the semi-final game? Let us know in the comments.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.