Inside The Warriors

Steve Kerr's Message to Jayson Tatum Before Olympics Benching Revealed

USA Basketball head coach Steve Kerr spoke with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum
Joey Linn|
Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA head coach Steve Kerr speaks to a player on the bench in the fourth quarter against Canada in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena.
Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA head coach Steve Kerr speaks to a player on the bench in the fourth quarter against Canada in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. | Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

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Golden State Warriors and USA Basketball head coach Steve Kerr made headlines in Team USA’s Paris Olympics opener by not playing Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. 

With Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant returning from injury, Tatum was pushed out of the rotation entirely. This surprised many, because while minutes needed to be freed up for Durant, Tatum is the caliber of player that would presumably be a lock for rotation minutes.

While Kerr admitted after the game he felt like an “idiot” for not playing Tatum, adding that the All-NBA First Team forward would play in Team USA’s next game, this was a decision that Kerr reportedly made prior to USA’s win over Serbia. 

During a recent ESPN segment, NBA insider Ramona Shelburne revealed a conversation between Kerr and Tatum before this game, with the USA Basketball head coach reportedly telling the star forward, "I don't think you're gonna get in."

As Kerr has mentioned several times, matchups and rotations change on a game to game basis, which means Tatum will have an opportunity to play as soon as next game. That said, it was still a controversial decision to not play the Celtics star in the opener, but one that Kerr will likely not be making again.

Team USA will face South Sudan on Wednesday in exciting rematch of their Group Phase game.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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