BOSTON — What does Steve Kerr have against Jayson Tatum? For the second time of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Celtics star was benched as Team USA took on Serbia.
This time around, Tatum didn’t play in a thrilling 95-91 semifinal comeback by Team USA. The Stars and Stripes trailed for the majority of Thursday’s showdown, and for large stretches, it looked like the team could have used a versatile, 6-foot-10 forward to help with some perimeter defense.
But Tatum didn’t play, and was reportedly “furious” as he walked off the floor following the victory. Tatum’s mom wasn’t too happy either, firing off her own post on X for the first time since November of 2022.
Serbia was putting on a shooting clinic through three quarters, hitting over 50 percent from downtown as they took a 76-63 lead into the final frame. (Serbia finished 15-for-39, missing all 10 of its threes in the fourth quarter.) Despite that deadeye shooting, Kerr kept going with a rotation that included Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker, neither of whom provided much help on the defensive end.
Even one of Kerr’s own players in Golden State, Draymond Green, took exception with his rotations on Thursday.
And that is from a guy who does not like the Boston Celtics. At all. And most of X felt the same way about Kerr, who was being treated as an “Enemy of the State” on the social media platform.
Team USA woke up late in the fourth thanks to superhuman performances from Steph Curry (36 points), Joel Embiid (19 points), and LeBron James (16 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds). Embiid scored seven straight for Team USA, LeBron hit a game-tying layup, and Curry drained a three to take an 87-86 lead. A James dunk put Team USA up by three with less than two minutes to go — the team’s largest lead to that point. Kevin Durant had nine points off the bench, including a key jumper with 36 seconds left to essentially seal the victory for Team USA.
But the squad’s furious run to clinch a spot in Saturday’s Gold Medal game was all about Team USA’s absurd level of talent taking over and not the coaching from the bench.
Strange Olympics for the Boston Celtics
To say it’s been an odd Olympics for the three Boston Celtics in Paris would be an understatement. Tatum and Jrue Holiday joined Team USA shortly after the Celtics won the NBA championship, and had to deal with some controversy when Derrick White was chosen as an injury replacement over Jaylen Brown. It was an awkward spot for Tatum and Holiday, who were happy that White was going to join them in Paris, but also had to answer questions (or sidestep them) on Brown.
Then Kerr kept Tatum on the bench for Team USA’s opener against Serbia. He said after the win that Tatum didn’t play because Durant was healthy, but added that he “felt like an idiot” for not playing the Boston star. Tatum himself called it a “humbling” experience, but he has every right to be upset after another benching on Thursday.
Tatum has struggled to find his role and shot on Team USA this Olympics, though he did have a double-double in a win over Puerto Rico. But he’s the most versatile defenders on the team, and don’t forget that Tatum was one of the top scorers on Team USA in 2020 that won Olympic Gold in Tokyo.
It’s strange that Kerr and his coaching staff kept Tatum on the bench yet again with the stakes so high on Thursday, especially with Serbia surrounding Nikola Jokic with perimeter shooters for the game. Maybe Kerr is still bitter that the Celtics trounced the Warriors, 140-88, back in March, though Holiday and White continue to play important roles in Paris.
At least we’ll get a chance to see if Tatum takes the floor on Sunday against France. And you better believe that this latest benching will give Tatum even more fuel when the NBA season tips off in a few months.
Matt Geagan
Matthew Geagan is a sports producer for CBS Boston. He has been part of the WBZ sports team for nearly 20 years. He moved over to the web in 2012 and has covered all the highs (and a few lows) in Boston sports.
