Even after winning a ring in the playoffs recently, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was still benched in Team USA’s game against Serbia in the Olympics. This prompted different personalities to react to this development, including former NBA champion Matt Barnes.
In a shocking turn of events, Tatum was left on the bench for the entirety of Team USA’s 110-84 victory over Serbia in their opening game of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite his consistent performances leading up to the Games, head coach Steve Kerr opted to exclude the All-Star forward from the rotation.
His absence from the court ignited a firestorm on social media, with Isaiah Thomas questioning whether the forward was injured. Other fans expressed outrage, calling Kerr’s decision “moronic” and arguing that the All-Star forward had more than earned his playing time.
Kerr attempted to justify his choice, stating that he went with the combinations that made sense for the opening game and that the champion would have opportunities to contribute in future contests. The coach acknowledged that he felt “like an idiot” for not playing the forward, who had been a key cog in the team’s success leading up to the Olympics.
Despite the controversy, Team USA’s depth was on full display, as they comfortably defeated Serbia behind a dominant performance from Kevin Durant. As the tournament progresses, Kerr will need to find a way to effectively utilize all of his star players, including the conspicuously absent Jayson Tatum.
Former NBA Champion Matt Barnes Question Team USA’s Decision to Bench Jayson Tatum Against Serbia
After news broke out that Tatum was benched against Serbia, different personalities in the sporting world reacted. Among those people was Barnes in a tweet he posted on his official X account.
“Not sure who’s deciding who’s playing what minutes in these Olympics but for @jaytatum0 to not get any minutes is crazy AF @SteveKerr & #EricSporlstra #USAMenBasketball #Olympics,” Barnes tweeted.
Last season, Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. Apart from winning his first title a few months ago, the Celtics forward is also a five-time All-Star and was selected to four All-NBA teams in the past.
While the exclusion of Tatum from the game was a head scratcher, that can change in the coming days as Team USA progresses through the tournament. By that time, the Boston star could have played and done what he can to help the United States win the gold.
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