As Team USA stepped up for their first Olympics game today, coach Steve Kerr was lost in the memories of the not-so-great exhibition games. In the end, the Dream Team 2.0 did not disappoint! Kevin Durant, coming off the bench after staying away from the game because of a calf strain, clocked magnificent shots in and around the paint. It felt like he was always there, associated with LeBron James’ dominant displays. However, what drew everyone’s attention was that amid all these flashy plays, 5x NBA All-Star and reigning Champion Jayson Tatum was sitting on the sidelines for the whole game.

When coach Steve Kerr was asked about it post-game after the blasting 84-110 victory over Serbia by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, he replied, “It’s tough, but Jayson handled it really well. I talked to him today before the game that it may play out this way with just Kevin (Durant) coming back and the lineups that I wanted to get to.” It was portrayed to be more of a matchup and team dynamic trouble after KD’s return for Kerr rather than a personal agenda.

However, Team USA’s coach promised not to disappoint the Boston Celtics fans further, as he added regarding their champion, “Jayson’s going to play. Every game is going to be different based on matchups. He’s a total pro, you know, First Team All NBA three years in a row. I felt like an idiot not playing him. But in a 40-minute game you can’t play more than 10 you really can’t.”

Though Steve Kerr made it clear that fans might get to see Tatum in the “next game,” a player like JT not being on the roster raised eyebrows since the game slowed down in the second half with Team USA being stretched a bit more, after a dominant initial period. Also, there was another concern about his playing minutes that ex-Warrior and NBA Hall of Famer Tim Legler expressed in the ‘All-NBA Podcast,’ “I totally disagree with what happened to him today. I thought it was incredibly disrespectful.”

“Jayson Tatum’s got a hell of a resume. Jayson Tatum has got a much greater resume than guys on that team today that were playing a lot of minutes. You [Adam Mares] mentioned two teammates, they played 40 minutes between the two of them, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.” Legler’s concern and disregard for Kerr’s decision seemed logical from a certain perspective, considering Team USA’s coach’s argument that he can’t play all the players, even though they are all megastars.

However, Derrick White himself was present on the court for about 16 minutes despite him not being among the Top 3 players on the Celtics roster. The hoops fan police did not let it go unnoticed as they brought out the big picture during their scrutiny of Steve Kerr.

Steve Kerr’s attempts to lead Team USA to 5th consecutive Gold were deemed as “absolute BS” by the larger community

As the fans noticed the Jayson Tatum snub from the roster, despite the blowout win over Serbia, it irked them. That’s because the Boston faithful went through the Jaylen Brown grief first and now Jayson Tatum also did not get to play for Team USA. Also, what was intriguing was that Derrick White got the go-ahead, and this fan did not hold back while targeting his approach. “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”

This individual compared Steve Kerr’s strategy to ex-Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who also coached Michael Jordan. Phil was known for his mind games, as Kobe once mentioned in 2015, about how Jackson’s antics pushed the Black Mamba to give his best. On the other hand, he wasn’t afraid of taking his big guns off because MJ “was trying to do too much,” Pippen narrated about the 92 Finals.

Another fan on X pointed out the same thing as Tim Legler, writing, “First they kept Jaylen Brown off team USA now Jayson Tatum doesn’t get 1 min off the bench in a blowout against Serbia in the first game…Steve Kerr with the disrespect!!!” Kerr was under solid fire for not giving a single minute to Jayson Tatum in a game where Team USA dominated and KD made a successful comeback. Keeping aside Steve’s assurances, does this potentially imply that Dream Team 2.0 is better off without Jay?

One of the X users, who seemed to be a Golden State Warriors fan, called out Steve Kerr for similar reasons, “Steve Kerr knowingly embarrassed Jayson Tatum today. Idk why he did it, but it was absolute BS. I would not want to be a warrior next season when they play Celtics. You thought the 52 point blowout was bad this season? Just wait. I’m not happy.” 

This individual felt so disgusted that they even cursed the Dubs for a more horrific loss than the one they faced last season during their showdown against the Celtics. The game on March 4, 2024, was a blowout victory for the Boston side by a staggering 140-88 scoreline against the Bay Area dynasty.

One of the X users accused Steve Kerr of playing his favorites! “Steve Kerr couldn’t find a place for Jayson Tatum in team USA’s game today. 3 time first team all NBA but he couldn’t crack the lineup. I dont buy it. Kerr playing favorites.” This is a controversial yet interesting perspective because the head coach has persistently stuck with certain names. Despite his illness, Joel Embiid, who’s started every game, maintained his spot in the Serbia opener too. At the same time, players like Ant-Man and AD, despite playing so much better than other names on the starting roster, wouldn’t be upgraded from the rotation bunch.

The humiliation narrative once again caught the force when an X user posted, “Steve Kerr is petty. Did he intentionally try to humiliate Jayson Tatum? Steve Kerr should be fired for harassment.” Well, this isn’t the first time the community is calling for Kerr to be sacked. His roster rotations in the showcase games didn’t please the viewer’s eyes as Team USA was unable to achieve blowout victories. Games like South Sudan and Germany were cut too close for comfort and a resistance in coaching principles from the GSW leader already had the fans torching him.

It’s quite clear that the fans do not agree with Steve Kerr’s decision and his rotational policy. Despite his attempt to reason things out with the community, they seem unfazed. Well, from the looks of it, there’s only one-way Team USA can battle their critics. Just win, isn’t it? Let us know in the comments below.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.