Photograph By Manu Reino/Europa Press through Getty Photos
It was a irritating Olympics for Jayson Tatum regardless of successful a gold medal, because the Boston Celtics star needed to watch a lot of the previous 5 video games from the bench.
However regardless of Workforce USA coach Steve Kerr limiting Tatum’s function within the Olympics, he stated his choice on whether or not he’ll play within the 2028 Video games will not be one he makes based mostly on how this 12 months went.
“It was a troublesome private expertise on the court docket, however I am not going to make any choice off feelings,” Tatum stated, per ESPN”s Brian Windhorst. “When you requested me proper now if I used to be going to play in 2028 — it’s 4 years from now and I [would have] to take time and take into consideration that. So I am not going to make any choice based mostly off how this expertise was or how I felt individually.”
Tatum, who joined Workforce USA contemporary off an NBA championship run with the Celtics, did not play in two of the US’ six Olympic video games. Kerr left him on the bench throughout Thursday’s semifinal towards Serbia regardless of Workforce USA’s struggling to defend the perimeter, which Tatum excels at.
He performed 11 minutes in Saturday’s closing towards France, scoring two factors and grabbing three boards.
Tatum spoke candidly about his second Olympic expertise. In accordance with Windhorst, he talked about a number of instances that he was completely satisfied to have received one other gold medal and “did not need his scenario to remove from the workforce’s success.”
He additionally expressed that this 12 months’s Olympic run was a studying expertise.
“Lots of people textual content me and reached out and stated ‘be sure that this fuels you,’ which I respect. There’s lots of people that care about me,” Tatum stated. “I believe the powerful half is sure, you need to use issues to gas you, however I am nonetheless human.
“…A part of being within the second, I’ve sacrificed and put loads into this sport and work actually, actually laborious. So within the second it’s powerful. You are not essentially frightened about fueling me for November or [whenever] the season is, however like I stated, it is one thing I am going to remove from this and study and from this expertise. It is undoubtedly difficult and humbling on the similar time.”
At simply 26 years previous, it appears unlikely that Paris will probably be his final time suiting up for Workforce USA. He did not get the possibility to shine the way in which he would have favored this 12 months, but when his optimistic trajectory continues, he may very well be the one main the US to gold in 2028.