Team USA had its most thrilling win of the Olympics on Thursday when it overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat Serbia, 95-91, and advance to the gold medal game.
But Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was not a part of the victory.
Tatum spent the entirety of the semifinal contest on the bench with Team USA head coach Steve Kerr deciding to not play the four-time All-NBA selection. Tatum never even took off his warmup attire during the game.
Kerr followed a familiar script in regards to Tatum with Team USA taking on a talented Serbia side led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Tatum also didn't play in the Olympic opener when Team USA went up against Serbia.
Tatum said all the right things following the initial benching, but it's unknown if his feelings are the same given the magnitude of the game.
"The competitor in you wants to play, obviously," Tatum told reporters after beating South Sudan last week, per The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach. "But I'm not here to make a story or make it about myself. We won. I was glad to just get back out there and play again because there was a lot of chatter over the last few days. But I was in good spirits. I had a good attitude about it. It was fine. As a competitor, you want to play, but I'm not holding any grudges or anything."
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was the only other player on Team USA who did not play, but that wasn't unusual.
Kerr decided to give Tatum's Celtics teammates in Jrue Holiday and Derrick White more minutes than the five-time All-Star. Holiday started alongside LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker and Steph Curry and played 20 minutes. Holiday totaled three points and seven assists. Derrick White played seven minutes off the bench and missed the only two shots he took.
It's unclear if Tatum will be glued to the bench once again when Team USA look to capture gold against France on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.
