Well, Team USA did achieve what they set out to do, and that was to win a gold medal in Paris. However, Steve Kerr’s controversial treatment of Jayson Tatum during the event opened a whole new can of worms. While Team USA had all the talent in the world to maneuver with this year, there is a high chance that LeBron, Durant, and Steph will not be a part of the next Olympics. Obviously, USA Basketball will look to the younger superstars to fill the vacant spots. However, NFL legend Kerry Rhodes believes Tatum’s embarrassing Paris trip could deter those prospects from considering participation in the 2028 Olympics.

Discussing Tatum’s situation on The Odd Couple Podcast, the Fox analyst claimed, “Steve Kerr definitely looks way worse in this situation than Jayson.” Referring to the fact that the head coach benched JT for two entire games in Paris and was struggling to find time for him in the rotation. Instead of these Olympics showing that Tatum was “next in line” to carry USA Basketball’s future, Kerry believed it did the opposite. “What this says and what this shows some of the guys that may consider going to play is ‘Uh, Should I go? Do I wanna go be a part of this and not play, be embarrassed like Jayson was?’ Now, he’s that barometer,” Rhodes explained.

Sure enough, his co-host Rob Parker agreed with the notion and added, “Those other guys might not be on his plateau.” Surely, many upcoming players might have this doubt that if Tatum didn’t get a chance to play in Paris even though he was the only First team All-NBA player on the squad and had come off winning a championship, then they might get treated even worse in similar conditions. And that could impact their decision to join the team or not.

Will Jayson Tatum play in the 2028 Olympics?

With Tatum not getting the minutes that he desired, many believe that he would never participate in the Olympics ever again. On top of that, he has already won the gold medal twice and might not have anything left to prove. However, Tatum has not made up his mind about participating in the 2028 Olympics, as the event will be hosted in LA. “It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I’m not going to make any decision off emotions,” revealed Tatum.

Moreover, he has some time to make his decision. “If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028… it is four years from now and I [would have] to take time and think about that. So, I’m not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually,” contended the 26-year-old.

Well, if he chooses to re-enter the mix, USA Basketball will likely be happy to take him back as he is still one of the best players in the league. Moreover, it will also give the younger superstars an added motivation to join the team seeing Tatum look past this year’s disappointing experience and focusing on bringing another gold medal for the nation.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger