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Team USA's gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics was a moment of celebration, but it didn't come without its share of challenges, especially for head coach Steve Kerr. Balancing a roster filled with top-tier talent, Kerr had to make tough decisions about playing time, and one of the most contentious was the limited role assigned to Jayson Tatum. This choice drew not only fan criticism but also public disapproval from Tatum's mother.
Following the team's gold medal win, Tatum reflected on his Olympic journey. Despite the obstacles he faced, Tatum emphasized that the experience, while difficult, wouldn't influence his future career decisions.
"It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I'm not going to make any decision off emotions," Tatum said.
"If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028-it is four years from now, and I [would have] to take time and think about that. So I'm not going to make any decision based on how this experience was or how I felt individually."
Didn't get much playing time
Throughout the Paris Olympics, Tatum's playing time became a point of controversy. He was absent from the lineup in two of Team USA's six games, including both the Olympic opener against Serbia and a pivotal semifinal rematch with the same team.
Kerr later itted that his decision to bench Tatum in the opener was a mistake, calling it a "dumb decision." Yet, Kerr stood by a similar decision in the semifinal, keeping Tatum out of the game once more.
In the gold medal matchup against , Tatum finally saw some action, coming off the bench in the first quarter. He played for 11 minutes, scoring two points and pulling down three rebounds. Over the course of the tournament, Tatum averaged 4.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in the five games he participated in.