Jayson Tatum Gets Brutally Honest About Team USA Role After Latest Benching

Jayson Tatum’s role with Team USA has not been what most assumed it would be coming in.

Fresh off winning an NBA championship, Tatum was widely viewed as an instrumental piece of the American side’s march to a gold medal. Between his prior Olympic experience and general versatility, he seemed like team centerpiece.

In Team USA’s first game of the Olympics, head coach Steve Kerr shocked everyone by benching Tatum. Although he came out later and tried to make things right, Kerr set the tone for things to come with that move.

Draymond Green’s reaction to the Tatum saga echoed the thoughts of most casual observers.

On Thursday, against Serbia, Tatum once again received zero playing time.

This week Tatum offered his thoughts on his inconsistent minutes with Team USA this time around.

“Each game is extremely different, but the main thing is that we win, so whatever we’ve got to do or I’ve got to do from game to game to be a part of that and contribute when I can, I’m going to do that,” he said.

What sort of minutes will Tatum end up playing for Team USA as the Olympics ultimately chug along? Time will tell.

Carlos Garcia

A longtime Sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB Games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.