Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but a Celtics star was overlooked by Team USA.
No, we’re not talking about Jaylen Brown, who remains outspoken about being left off the men’s basketball roster for the Paris Olympics. We’re talking about Brown’s running mate, Jayson Tatum, who did not play in the Americans’ group-stage opener against Serbia.
The DNP was surprising. Tatum started three of Team USA’s five showcase games leading up to the Paris Games and played at least 14 minutes in all of them. The five-time All-Star also confirmed he wasn’t dealing with the illness that was making its way around the USA locker room.
So, what was the reason? Head coach Steve Kerr explained his decision after the 110-84 win over Serbia.
“I went with the combinations that made sense,” Kerr told reporters, per The Boston Globe. “That was for tonight. He handled it well. He’ll make his mark.”
Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton were the only Team USA players who did not log a single minute against Nikola Jokic and company. Their next opportunity to see the court will be Wednesday when they match up with South Sudan, who the Americans barely beat in an exhibition clash July 20.
Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
