Jayson Tatum doesn't hold back on getting benched after dominant win vs. South Sudan

Jayson Tatum opted to say very little to the media after receiving a DNP-CD in the Team USA opening victory over Serbia. But Steve Kerr stayed true to his word that Tatum would make an impact, as the Boston Celtics star drew the start in the second game of group play against South Sudan.

The Americans picked up their second victory with little resistance on Wednesday, defeating one of the tournament's best stories 103-86. Following the game against South Sudan, Tatum addressed the decision while speaking to reporters, calling it a "humbling experience."

"It's a unique situation, and it's not about one individual player, competitor in you wants to play obviously, but I'm not here to make a story about myself," Tatum said after the win against South Sudan, via BasketNews.com. "You win a championship, new contract, 'NBA 2K25' cover, Sports Illustrated... so after all of this, it's definitely a humbling experience."

It wasn't surprising to see Tatum suit up in Team USA's second game of the 2024 Olympics, but the fact that he started was noteworthy. Tatum played 17 minutes in the victory, scoring four points on 2-of-4 shooting while adding five rebounds, two assists and one block.

The 26-year-old also admitted he was glad the team won on Wednesday and that he could get back on the floor after all the "chatter" following the opener.

"We won; I was just glad to get back out there and play again, as there was a lot of chatter over the last few days," Tatum added.

For good measure, Kerr also stuck with his initial plan to change the rotations, as Joel Embiid, who started the opener, drew the DNP-CD against South Sudan.

The Americans' impressively well-rounded effort fueled the victory, as six players scored in double figures. Bam Adebayo put together a dominant performance in Embiid's absence, scoring 18 points with seven rebounds and two blocks on 8-of-10 shooting. The Miami Heat star also knocked down 2-of-3 shots from beyond the arc, an aspect of Adebayo's game that's rarely seen.