So shock: Steve Kerr finally officially gone Real in defence of Jayson Tatum and Haliburton’s Professionalism” During The Paris Olympics as several questions” were thrown out courtesy of there performance…
Even though the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris have been over for more than a month, discussions about the men’s basketball tournament continue today. This mostly relates to those who are upset with Jayson Tatum’s meager contribution to the team.
Steve Aschburner of NBA.com questioned coach Steve Kerr about why guys like Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum weren’t playing much, leading Kerr to commend the players’ professionalism. “All those people were excellent. Jason managed everything so expertly.
He could not have handled it better when it became a media topic, of course. The same with Tyrese. Each game was unique.”
Those guys were all great. Jayson handled things so well. Then obviously it became a media subject, but he couldn’t have handled it better. Tyrese, same thing. Every game was different.”
“And we talked about that from the first night – 12 superstars and probably only nine can play consistent minutes. They handled themselves really professionally and pulled for each other. I couldn’t be prouder of them all.”
Team USA won a dominant Gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics which everyone widely considered to be one of the deepest Olympics in terms of non-USA competition. They had to fight their way to multiple wins in the tournament, including their last two wins over Serbia and France to secure the Gold medal.
Given his age and expertise, Haliburton’s decision to sit out the game made reasonable. In addition, LeBron James was essentially playing point guard alongside guards like Jrue Holiday and Stephen Curry. Tyrese was unable to get any traction due to the presence of those three guys, each of whom could fill a different guard role.
In contrast, Tatum was purposefully benched in favor of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and even Derrick White in order to prioritize defense and have role players who prioritize defense alongside James and Durant, the team’s longstanding starting pair. If they receive a call-up and an opportunity rather than being at the mercy of a coach’s whims and fancies, both players will have a chance to be prominent stars on the 2028 Olympic team.
The Olympics Were A ‘Rough Personal Experience’ For Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum has had his fair share of complaints about what went down at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Team USA, failing to hide his dislike for the decision to barely use him. He would reflect on the Paris Olympics in a negative light, calling it a rough personal experience.
“It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I’m not going to make any decision on emotions. 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.”
“A lot of people text me and reached out and said ‘Make sure this fuels you,’ which I appreciate. There’s a lot of people that care about me. I think the tough part is yes, you can use things to fuel you, but I’m still human.”
Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists last season. The reigning NBA Champion and Gold Medal winner will hope to silence his doubters once and for all in the 2024-25 season.
