Stephen A. Smith goes OFF on Steve Kerr’s decision to bench NBA Champion

Jayson Tatum played zero minutes against Serbia in their first Olympics game.

Stephen A. Smith goes OFF on Steve Kerr’s decision to bench NBA Champion

Stephen A. Smith goes OFF on Team USA head coach Steve Kerr's decision to bench NBA Champion Jayson Tatum in Paris Olympics 2024

Team USA basketball is full of superstars. Therefore, not everyone will get a lot of minutes like they are used to when playing in the NBA. That said, keeping Jayson Tatum glued to the bench in the first Paris Olympics 2024 game against Serbia, went too far. Far enough for fans and analysts such as the cantankerous Stephen A. Smith to criticize head coach Steve Kerr.

The longtime analyst took to his show, The Stephen A. Smith Show, to talk about Team USA’s victory over Serbia. He then said, rather yelled, this about Jayson Tatum‘s 0 minutes:

The reigning, defending, NBA champion Jayson Tatum. And you can't find minutes in a 26-point lopsided victory, you can’t find one minute? I'm trying to get away from cussing. But Steve Kerr that’s some straight bullsh*t. To have a champion riding the bench, like he's some damn waterboy. You gotta be kidding me.
Stephen A. Smith on The Stephen A. Smith Show

Stephen A. Smith was absolutely livid when talking about this. He even resorted to cussing out Steve Kerr for this blatant omission in a blowout game.

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That game was over by the end of the third quarter. Even if Kerr was wary of a late rally, those doubts were doused when his star-studded team was up by 20 with 9 minutes left in the game. Smith’s rant was about that. At least then Kerr could have introduced Tatum into the game. Instead, he kept on going with his favored lineup.

Even keeping Stephen Curry in the game when he was struggling from deep. Smith says that Kerr should not have left out an All-NBA player who led his Boston Celtics to an NBA Championship and then preferred to play in the Paris Olympics 2024 than the rest.

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Brian Windhorst explains why Jayson Tatum was left out

Stephen A. Smith’s fellow ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst is in Paris covering Team USA’s Olympics bid. He explained to Malika Andrews while on a live call on NBA Today what Steve Kerr’s logic was behind the benching;

Serbia is a team that has got very strong big men, led by Nikola Jokic. And they've got very good guards, they weren't as deep on the wings. They made the evaluation that in a 10-man rotation, in a 40-minute game, Tatum didn't fit. This gameplan worked.
Brian Windhorst on NBA Today

Suggesting that Team USA, with the talent available at hand, can make choices depending on what the game needs. In this case, Tatum’s teammates Derrick White and Jrue Holiday were needed more.

The logic could not be faulted as the very essence of game management is to take what the defense gives. There was not much a wing player like Tatum could do against Serbia, who do not have good wings of their own.

Windhorst did say that in the next game against South Sudan, no player will be as important to the lineup as Jayson Tatum. His size, defensive prowess, and scoring ability will be the game-changing aspect for Team USA.

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