Steve Kerr benching Celtics star Jayson Tatum could be USA Basketball’s first controversy of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The USA Basketball men’s team handily beat Serbia to open up group play in the 2024 Olympics in Paris on Sunday, but the discussion after the game seemingly isn’t going to be as positive as the team likely hoped.
Because while most of Team USA appeared to be having a blast during Sunday’s 110-84 win, one of the two members of the roster to not see the court for a single second appeared less than thrilled about it.
I feel so bad for him bro https://t.co/mtNtH3ojlI pic.twitter.com/b22qQlRJoT
— Smiley (@30GotNext) July 28, 2024
On a team as talented as USA Basketball, some guys are always going to get fewer minutes than they feel they deserve. However, it seems unlikely that Jayson Tatum pictured any circumstance in his mind where he got a Did Not Play — Coaches Decision (DNP-CD) in the Olympics, even on a roster this loaded.
But as both Tatum and U.S. men’s head coach Steve Kerr confirmed after the game, that’s exactly what happened. Tatum told Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe that he wasn’t sick with the bug that’s been going around Team USA...
Just asked Jayson Tatum if he was sick, he told me, “No, I’m good.” #Celtics #Paris2024
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) July 28, 2024
...while Kerr added it was his decision to bench the only 2024 All-NBA First-Team selection on Team USA for the whole game:
Kerr admits Tatum was a straight up DNP-CD. “I went with the combinations that made sense. That was for tonight. He handled it well. He’ll make his mark.” #Celtics #Paris2024
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) July 28, 2024
New: "I thought I was crazy when I looked at everything & determined these are the lineups I wanted to get to. Jayson is first-team All-NBA three years in a row... I talked to him, and he was incredibly professional.”
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) July 28, 2024
More from Steve Kerr on Tatum's DNP: https://t.co/gZAxSJVgee
None of that is likely to make Celtics fans any less upset about the demotion online, though:
Does Steve Kerr know he has Jayson Tatum on his team?
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) July 28, 2024
Steve Kerr has so many bad decisions this game I don’t even know which focus on at half time
— Immortan Joe Mazzulla (@Handsome_Jake_) July 28, 2024
Obviously the Jayson Tatum stuff is moronic and his biggest mistake, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg with this idiot
I was wrong. Doesn't make it any less stupid. Thankfully the team is talented enough to work around a series of poor coaching decisions thus far. https://t.co/aKFr0aqNdW
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 28, 2024
Jayson Tatum dropping 50 on Steve Kerr’s head next year we will be there.
— j (@lockedupjb) July 28, 2024
JT can choose to handle this however he wants but considering his accomplishments in both the NBA and for Team USA I think I he’d be justified in saying just about anything he wants about Steve Kerr right now
— Ryan Bernardoni (@dangercart) July 28, 2024
Tatum has never caused any drama in his career. I expect he’ll continue on that track now but if he wants t go off he’d be justified in doing it.
— Ryan Bernardoni (@dangercart) July 28, 2024
Team USA is a HIGHLY political organization. 30 years on we talk about why Isiah Thomas wasn’t on the Dream Team. Jaylen is feuding with Grant Hill and it’s news. Kerr embarrassed Tatum and did it knowingly. https://t.co/KOJsGT2qk2
— Ryan Bernardoni (@dangercart) July 28, 2024
Now we should note again that Kerr made sure to credit Tatum’s professionalism multiple times postgame, and his remarks make it at least appear as though Tatum’s role (or lack thereof) was communicated to him beforehand. At least for now, it appears he didn’t find out he wouldn’t be playing at all at the same time as the rest of us, and handled it about as well as he possibly could have.
Still, it will be interesting to see how this situation continues to unfold. Maybe Tatum plays 15-20 minutes the next game and someone else shuffles out of the lineup, or maybe an injury forces a chance for him to play hero. However, while Team USA can probably win without Tatum in 2024, if he continues to be passed over on such a prominent stage and has to hear about it online constantly, Kerr is making it a real possibility they’ll have to win without the now-26-year-old in 2028, too.
