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 Crew USA coach Steve Kerr limiting Tatum’s function within the Olympics, he stated his determination on whether or not he’ll play within the 2028 Video games will not be one he makes primarily based on how this 12 months went.

“It was a troublesome private expertise on the courtroom, however I am not going to make any determination off feelings,” Tatum stated, per ESPN”s Brian Windhorst. “Should 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 determination primarily based off how this expertise was or how I felt individually.”

Tatum, who joined Crew USA recent 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 in opposition to Serbia regardless of Crew USA’s struggling to defend the perimeter, which Tatum excels at.

He performed 11 minutes in Saturday’s ultimate in opposition to 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 occasions that he was blissful to have received one other gold medal and “did not need his scenario to remove from the group’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 this fuels you,’ which I recognize. There’s lots of people that care about me,” Tatum stated. “I feel the powerful half is sure, you need to use issues to gasoline you, however I am nonetheless human.

“…A part of being within the second, I’ve sacrificed and put so much into this sport and work actually, actually arduous. 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 be taught and from this expertise. It is positively difficult and humbling on the similar time.”

At simply 26 years previous, it appears unlikely that Paris will likely be his final time suiting up for Crew USA. He did not get the possibility to shine the best way he would have preferred this 12 months, but when his constructive trajectory continues, he could possibly be the one main the US to gold in 2028.