The U.S. men's basketball team had its best game this summer in its Paris Olympics opener against Serbia, winning 110-84 to start the tournament on the right foot.
But while there was plenty to be happy about if you're rooting for Team USA, the fact that Jayson Tatum didn't touch the ground for the entire 40-minute duration of the game raised a lot of eyebrows.
When head coach Steve Kerr was asked about Tatum's absence from the rotation in the first game after the win, he was very candid about his own mistake in not letting him play.
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Jayson Tatum of the U.S. men's national team looks on during practice at the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan on July 27, 2024, in Paris. (Jesse D. Garrabrant, NBA via Getty Images)
“I felt like an idiot for not playing him,” Kerr said, according to ESPN.
Kerr sent out 10 players in total on Sunday afternoon, including Tatum's Boston Celtics teammates, starting guard Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, who was a late addition to Team USA earlier this year.
“Forty-minute match, no more than 10 minutes can be played [players]”Kerr said. “So, I think that [Tatum’s] “A great guy, a great player who handled it very well. He'll be back in the next game.”
US athletes Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh finish 1-2 in the 100m butterfly at the Paris Olympics
Kerr said he also spoke to Tatum before the game, letting him know that playing time could be minimal, if any.
“Yeah, it's tough, but Jayson handled it really well,” Kerr said. “I talked to him before the game and told him it could happen this way, just with Kevin.” [Durant] I'll be back and I'll have the lineups I wanted to have. But that will change. Jayson will play, every game will be different depending on the matchups.
Team USA's Jayson Tatum, left, and Stephen Curry celebrate during their group stage match against Serbia at Stade Pierre Mauroy on July 28, 2024, in Lille, France. (Markus Gilliar – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Durant was the first U.S. player to come off the bench and ended up leading the group in points with 23 after going a perfect 8-of-8 in the first half for 21 points.
Kerr also deployed centers Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis, as well as shooting guard Anthony Edwards in the victory over the Serbian team led by Nikola Jokic.
Tatum's on-court skills are obvious, as he was a first-team All-NBA selection the past three seasons, including the Celtics' championship-winning campaign just a month ago.
The 26-year-old will finally get his chance to compete in his first Olympics, as Kerr said. The United States will face South Sudan on July 31 at 3 p.m. in Lille, France.
Team USA head coach Steve Kerr looks on during the match against Serbia at the Stade Pierre Mauroy on July 28, 2024, in Lille, France. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
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South Sudan had already given Team USA a problem in London during an exhibition game on July 20, where LeBron James needed to score a game-winning layup in the fourth quarter.
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