Jayson Tatum isn’t interested in hosting anyone who says he should talk negatively about his lack of playing time with Team USA during this summer’s Olympics.

Speaking to reporters after the Boston Celtics’ loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, Tatum said he’s “always going to do what the hell I want to do,” when asked about anyone who wants him to react to being put on the bench. USA head coach Steve Kerr.

After benching Tatum for the opener against Serbia, Kerr explicitly they were trying to get Kevin Durant’s legs back under him. Durant missed all of Team USA’s training camp and exhibition schedule with a calf injury.

As more games went by without Tatum seeing much playing time, Kerr said it came down to a math problem and the lack of minutes available for everyone:

“”It’s not what I don’t see from Jayson; it’s what i saw from the other guys. As I’ve said many times during this tournament and the last six weeks, it’s tough to play 11 men, even in an NBA game. Our second unit wasn’t great last night, but that group was one of the bright spots on this team, especially defensively. So it’s not about what Jayson does or doesn’t do. It’s just the combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin (Durant) has filled in since coming back from injury. It’s just a math problem more than anything.”

The discussion surrounding Tatum was interesting because no one was complaining about Tyrese Haliburton’s lack of playing time. The Indiana Pacers star averaged just 8.8 minutes per game in three appearances, but he took it all in stride and joked about it.

Even acknowledging that Tatum is considered a better player than Haliburton and that he had his first NBA title with the Celtics earlier this summer, it wasn’t Kerr’s job to satisfy the playing time desires of everyone on the roster.

Kerr came to the U.S. in prime position to win a gold medal, and that’s exactly what she did. Tatum may not have been entirely on board with the situation, but it’s smart for him not to give in to public pressure to make a bigger deal, as he may want to be on the team in 2028 when Team USA will have a new head coach.