Steve Kerr benched Jayson Tatum for Team USA’s 95-91 win over Serbia in the Olympics semi-final on Thursday. It was the second time the Boston Celtics star had received a DNP-CD during the tournament, with the first occurring during the opening group-stage game, also against Serbia.
When speaking to the Boston Globe, Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy pulled no punches in his assessment of Kerr’s decision to bench one of the best players in the world.
“When Kerr did it last week, he was in no danger of losing the game, but in this case, they got down by 17 points, and he’s got to worry about losing the game,” Cousy said. “And then to not let Tatum get off the bench — to me, there’s got to be some bias that he’s got against the Celtics…He must think Tatum is a detriment, and I don’t see how he can feel that way and know anything about basketball.”
Cousy is a six-time NBA champion, a 13-time All-Star, the 1957 MVP and his number hangs in the rafters of the TD Garden. He is viewed as one of the greatest point guards in history.
At 96 years old, Cousy has watched a tremendous amount of basketball in his lifetime. He understands the game from every angle. He’s been a player, a coach, and a fan.
While benching Tatum certainly caused a stir to begin the tournament, Kerr’s decision to double down on not playing him against Serbia has raised some eyebrows. The USA’s triple-guard lineup looked susceptible on the defensive end, and Kerr’s team struggled to control the glass.
Tatum is one of the best rebounders on the team and can also operate as a primary playmaker in the half-court. His presence could have solved two of the USA’s biggest issues on Thursday. Furthermore, Cousy isn’t the only former NBA talent to question Kerr’s decision-making. Former NBA guard Theo Pinson shared his bewilderment in a post on X on Friday.
Tatum will likely return to the rotation against France on Saturday. However, the damage has already been done. Kerr chose to sit one of the most talented forwards on the planet for two separate games, thus hurting the NBA champion’s reputation with basketball fans worldwide.
