Jayson Tatum’s Surprise Inclusion vs South Sudan Was Classic Steve Kerr Move, Not Media Pressure, Warriors Insider Explains

We have heard everything there is to about Steve Kerr and his decision to DNP Jayson Tatum for the Olympic tournament opener. Or have we, really? Sure, there was this furious public outcry at the sheer disrespect for the 2024 NBA champion. Add Kerr’s admission that he felt like an idiot, and everyone just ran with it.

However, in quite an interesting take, Anthony Slater of The Athletic joins Dave DuFour on The Athletic NBA Show Apple podcast to discuss the South Sudan vs Team USA battle. As per the veteran media analyst, this whole rotation and lineup shifts are nothing new with Steve Kerr. In fact, a quick look at his past decision-making provides a clear picture, per Slater.

“It’s very Steve Kerr. Jayson Tatum just happens to be playing the Moses Moody role. It’s not unlike Steve to DNP a guy. It’s like Klay Thompson sitting out. Moses Moody going from DNP to starting. Damion Lee, back in the day, he [Kerr] used to always do that. He’d be the 11th man and the next game, he’d be starting. As professional as Jayson Tatum appeared to take it, it was still embarrassing… I think today was just not about delivering a little bit of a boost to Tatum, but also he DNP’d [Joel] Embiid. It was kind of like a show of ‘this could happen to anybody.'” 

Well, it certainly is different from the common chatter surrounding the whole situation. But it seems the one aspect that even Slater agrees to is that despite the seemingly professional outlook, there was a hint of something forced in the way Tatum was moving. Much like Chiney Ogwumike pointed out in a recent episode of NBA Today. “You could see in his body language that something wasn’t right.”

But it seems like the man in question has just one goal in his mind.

Jayson Tatum reveals he is not salty about the tournament opener snub

It’s not easy to completely cancel the outside noise. Especially when the said noise is in favor of you. Of course, the public opinion of a popular entity can change faster than a heartbeat. Yet, when you are an elite NBA forward who is just fresh off a championship and ends up being benched in your Olympic debut, can hit hard. To Tatum’s credit, though, he showcased impressive composure and professionalism.

Talking to reporters after Team USA’s win over South Sudan, the 5x All-Star said, “It’s a unique situation, and it’s not about one individual player. The competitor in you wants to play, obviously. But I’m not here to make a story, making it about myself. We won. I was just glad to get back out there and play again today. There was a lot of chatter over the last few days, but I was in good spirits. I had a good attitude about it. I’m not holding any grudges or anything.”

Then again, it really is of no use getting annoyed, we suppose. When you are part of a roster like the 12-man roster of Team USA, there will inevitably be someone who will have to sit. The catch? That someone will be one of the finest that American basketball has to offer. It seems to be a fact that all the guys involved are well aware of.

Anyway, the Dream Team 2.0 continues striving for dominance with a 2-0 record. They will be facing Puerto Rico next, scheduled to tip off at 11:15 AM ET on Saturday.

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