When the 2024 Paris Olympics officially got underway for Team USA, the team faced Serbia and superstar Nikola Jokic and put them away with relative ease down the stretch.
Even though the Americans made easy work of Jokic’s squad, which was likely a humbling experience for Serbia, head coach Steve Kerr made a questionable call to not play reigning NBA champion Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
Tatum didn’t log a single minute against Serbia, which turned a lot of heads, as it obviously wasn’t a great look for the Celtics superstar and made many wonder why Kerr decided to leave him on the bench for the entire game.
Even Celtics role player Derrick White saw the floor against the Serbians, which made matters even worse for Tatum from an aesthetic point of view, as his absence from the opener became a hot topic leading up to the next game against South Sudan.
Fortunately for Tatum, Kerr decided to give him the nod in the starting lineup alongside Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, which could dispel all the negative attention around the NBA champion while also taking some pressure off the Golden State Warriors head coach.
Fresh Starting 5 for
#USABMNT vs
South Sudan
@USANetwork @peacock#Paris2024 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/vGc2qOAYcA
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 31, 2024
South Sudan
Here are some fan reactions to Tatum getting the start against South Sudan:
Paying for a starter spot is crazy work Tatum
— DeMar DeRozan Muse (@Muse_DeMar) July 31, 2024
Hahahaha they felt bad for Tatum last game had to start him
— HOT TAKE CITY!!
(@HOTTAKECITY904) July 31, 2024
Tatum is getting pity minutes
— Aidan LaPorta (@AidanLaPorta69) July 31, 2024
It's like when one of the parents complains about their kid not getting any minutes and the coach is forced to play them
— RB (@RBPhillyTake) July 31, 2024
Clearly, Tatum can’t seem to win in this situation, as he is bashed for not seeing the floor and then seems to get even more flak for being thrust into the starting lineup unexpectedly.
However, it is tough for Kerr to distribute minutes with so many star players on the roster, so someone always will not get time on the floor throughout the tournament.
The post Fans React To Jayson Tatum In Team USA Starting Lineup appeared first on The Cold Wire.