Warriors' Steve Kerr cops backlash for "utterly disrespectful" treatment of superstar
Golden State Warriors and Team USA head coach Steve Kerr got off to a winning start at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, yet the dominant 110-84 victory over Serbia wasn't without major controversy.
With Kevin Durant back in the fold after missing the five exhibition games due to a calf injury, Kerr was tasked with a couple of brutal rotation calls on the star-studded 12-man Team USA roster. Tyrese Haliburton was already forecast as one of the odd men out, but the choice to completely omit Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum drew a wave of criticism.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has copped serious backlash for his decision not to play Jayson Tatum against Serbia
Durant returned in extraordinary fashion with 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting in the first half, and LeBron James flirted with a triple-double in the 26-point victory, yet it was the Tatum call that may been the major talking point in the aftermath.
The 26-year-old's résumé speaks for itself, having been an All-Star in each of the past five years and an All-NBA First Team selection in each of the past three. Tatum's DNP dismayed plenty of fans, with Kerr admitting post-game that he "like an idiot not playing him" while acknowledging that you can't play more than 10 guys in the 40-minute FIBA setting.
Social media was ablaze with reasons, both real and conspiracy, on why Kerr inexplicably left Tatum on the bench, particularly given Team USA had built a 20-point lead by early in the fourth-quarter.
we know why Kerr isn’t playing Tatum, kid is so salty😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/u4kc2WeHnR
— Fan (@FanMahome) July 28, 2024
Kerr saying he wanted the "combinations that made sense" as the reason for DNP-ing Tatum when one of his greatest strengths is the fact that he's matchup-proof and works in any lineup 1-5 is very funny
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) July 28, 2024
steve kerr choosing to bring derrick white on the olympic team instead of jaylen brown and then making sure to only play derrick white and not jayson tatum so as to sow unrest on the celtics is some phil jackson level of mind games lol
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) July 28, 2024
Much of the criticism came from Kerr's decision to play Celtics teammate Derrick White over Tatum, with the 30-year-old guard having only joined the team recently as a replacement for the injured Kawhi Leonard.
ESPN's Tim Legler described the move as "incredibly disrespectful" while referencing White as the "fifth-best player on his own team (Celtics)." White played 16 minutes in the win, recording two points, one rebound, one assists, two blocks and a steal.
It's not the first time Kerr has come under heavy scrutiny for rotation decisions during his illustrious coaching career, particularly when it's come to his treatment of young players in recent years with the Warriors. This is a whole new kettle of fish though when talking about someone of Tatum's proven calibre, leaving a major storyline ahead of Wednesday's second group game against South Sudan.
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