Steve Kerr Gets Real On Jayson Tatum And Tyrese Haliburton’s Professionalism During The Paris Olympics

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr praised Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton's professionalism at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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The 2024 Paris Olympics have been over for over a month but the events in the men’s basketball tournament get debated on to this day. This primarily refers to people angry about Jayson Tatum playing a minuscule role on the team. Coach Steve Kerr was asked about players like Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton not playing much by Steve Aschburner of NBA.com, promoting Kerr to praise both players’ professionalism.

“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.

Haliburton not playing made sense given his age and experience, also because LeBron James was virtually playing point guard alongside guards like Stephen Curry and Jrue Holiday. The presence of those three players to perform different guard roles means Tyrese couldn’t get a look in.

Tatum, on the other hand, was deliberately benched for other options like LeBron, Kevin Durant, and even Derrick White for on-ball defense and to have defense-first role-players next to the old duo of James and Durant on the court. 

Both players will have an opportunity to be featured stars on the 2028 Olympics squad, provided they get a call-up and an opportunity instead of being left up to the whims and fancies of a coach.


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.

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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