It was as big of a contrast as you could possibly have for Duke basketball standout Jayson Tatum at the Olympics.
After being benched by Steve Kerr in Team USA's opening game on Sunday, the Boston Celtics superstar was in the starting lineup on Wednesday against South Sudan as the Americans looked to clinch a spot in the knockout stage.
The mission was accomplished with a resounding 103-86 victory after the Sudanese nearly upset the gold medal favorites in an exhibition game two weeks ago.
Tatum played 17 minutes, making 2-of-4 shots from the field, and added four points, five rebounds, and two assists. However, his first shot was a clunker after sending an opener 3-pointer from the corner off the side of the backboard.
Tyrese Haliburton, who also didn't play against Serbia, logged eight minutes in the victory while Joel Embiid did not enter Wednesday's contest.
"After all of this, it's definitely a humbling experience," Tatum told BasketNews after the victory.
“It’s a unique situation and it’s not about one individual player," he continued. "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.”
Jayson Tatum on his DNP and coming back today: “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…
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) July 31, 2024
Steve Kerr said that Jayson Tatum "handled it well" when he told him that he might not play against Serbia. The USA head coach also explained that he "felt like an idiot" for not playing the NBA champion.
Current Duke freshman center Khaman Maluach did not get much playing time against the United States, logging just two minutes and failing to record a point or rebound as he picked up two fouls quickly.
There is still a lot more basketball to be played for Tatum and the Team USA as they will conclude Group C action against Puerto Rico on Saturday, August 3 (11:15 a.m., NBC).