Jayson Tatum Expresses 'Empathy' for Bench Players in NBA After Team USA Experience

Jayson Tatum says he has "empathy" for the Boston Celtics' reserves after coming off the bench for Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"You can be frustrated that you want to play as a competitor, but maybe have some empathy for some of the guys on my team that don't always get to play or play spot minutes," Tatum said, per The Athletic's Joe Vardon. "So it's a learning experience to have, see it from that point of view, and just move on from it."

Tatum told reporters it was "definitely a humbling experience" not to play during Team USA's Olympic opener against Serbia, per Vardon. He joined the Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton as the only two Team USA players not to earn any playing time in the game.

The Celtics star was then given a starting spot during the team's next group-stage outing against South Sudan. He contributed four points, five rebounds, two assists and a block in 17 minutes on the court.

That's a notable difference from the 25.0 points and 9.7 rebounds Tatum was recording while averaging more than 40 minutes on the court through 19 playoff starts on the Celtics' run to the 2024 title.

In 513 career regular-season games and 113 playoff contests in the NBA, Tatum has never come off the bench for the Celtics.

On a team with LeBron James and Steph Curry in the rotation, however, Tatum is getting the unique experience of not being considered an automatic top-five player on the Olympic team.

That will likely change by 2028. As the team's current veterans age out of the Games, the team's younger stars like Tatum and Haliburton will likely be called on to lead Team USA during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.