Celtics champion Jayson Tatum was on the bench throughout Team USA’s 110-84 victory over Serbia, leaving many questioning the reason behind it.
Jrue Holiday shined in the game, while Derrick White, a late addition to the team, played for over 15 minutes replacing Kawhi Leonard.
NBA media speculated if Tatum was sidelined due to illness or injury, but he denied it post-game, according to The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn.
Washburn tweeted, “Just asked Jayson Tatum if he was sick, he told me, “No, I’m good.”
Team USA coach Steve Kerr confirmed that Tatum’s absence was not due to health issues and explained that he chose lineups based on what made the most sense.
“Jayson’s gonna play; every game’s gonna be different based on matchups,” Kerr told ESPN. “He’s a total pro, he’s first-team All-NBA three years in a row. I felt like an idiot not playing him, but you know, 40-minute game, you can’t play more than 10 [players].
“With Kevin [Durant] coming back, I just went to the combinations that I felt made the most sense. It seems crazy. I thought I was crazy when I looked at everything and determined these are the lineups I wanted to get to.
“[Tatum will] make his mark. Our guys know the key to this whole thing is to put all the NBA stuff in the rearview mirror and just win six games. Jayson is the ultimate pro and champion and he handled it well, and he’s going to be ready for the next game.”
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was the only other player on Team USA who did not see any playing time.
NBA Twitter users quickly noticed the absence of Tatum and Haliburton.
Tatum and Hali highlights today 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6XrV7TYnXh
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) July 28, 2024
Team USA will face South Sudan in their next pool game on July 31, the country that gave them a tough challenge in the warm-up games.
