Steve Kerr Makes New Statement After Jayson Tatum's Olympic Benching
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr received a lot of criticism for his handling of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Playing Tatum the second-fewest minutes on the team, including two DNPs, Kerr opted for other options in his rotation.
"I went with the combinations that made sense," Kerr said on July 28 after benching Tatum for the entirety of Team USA’s win over Serbia in the Olympic opener. "That was for tonight. He handled it well. He’ll make his mark."
Kerr would ultimately have to answer several more questions about his handling of Tatum at the Olympics, often giving similar remarks about lineup combinations and the All-NBA forward handling the decision like a professional.
In a new interview with NBA.com's Steve Aschburner, Kerr laughingly said of Celtics fans, “I think they’re going to be all over me. That’s fine.”
Asked specifically about Tatum and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who played even less than the Celtics star, Kerr told Aschburner, “Those guys were all great. Jayson handled things so well. Then obviously it became a media subject, but he couldn’t have handled it better. Tyrese, same thing. Every game was different.”
Kerr added, “And we talked about that from the first night – 12 superstars and probably only nine can play consistent minutes. They handled themselves really professionally and pulled for each other. I couldn’t be prouder of them all.”
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