Jayson Tatum isn’t interested in responding to anyone who says he should speak negatively about his lack of playing time with Team USA during this summer’s Olympics.

Speaking to reporters after the Boston Celtics’ loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, Tatum said he’s “still going to do what I want to do” when asked about anyone wanting him to react to the fact to be put on the bench. United States head coach Steve Kerr.

After keeping Tatum on the bench for the opener against Serbia, Kerr explain they were trying to get Kevin Durant’s legs back under him. Durant missed all of Team USA’s training camp and exhibition schedule due to a calf injury.

As more and more games were played without Tatum getting much playing time, Kerr said it came down to a math problem and not enough minutes available for everyone:

“”It’s not what I don’t see from Jayson; That’s what I saw in the other guys. As I’ve said many times during this tournament and over the last six weeks, it’s just tough to play with 11 people, even in an NBA game. Our second unit wasn’t great last night, but this group was one of the strengths of this team, especially on the defensive end. So it’s not about what Jayson does or doesn’t do. It’s just a matter of combinations and how this group has played together, how Kevin (Durant) has filled in since he came back from injury. It’s just a math problem more than anything. »

The discussion surrounding Tatum was interesting because no one was complaining about Tyrese Haliburton’s lack of playing time. The Indiana Pacers star averaged just 8.8 minutes per game in three appearances, but he took it all in stride and made jokes about it.

Even recognizing that Tatum is considered a better player than Haliburton and had just won his first NBA title with the Celtics earlier this summer, Kerr’s job wasn’t to satisfy Haliburton’s desires for playing time. everyone on the list.

Kerr needed to go to the United States in the best position to win a gold medal, and that’s exactly what he did. Tatum may not have been entirely on board with the situation, but it’s smart for him not to give in to public pressure to make this a bigger deal because he might want to be part of the team in 2028, when Team USA will have a new head coach.