Jayson Tatum's mother dispels injury rumors, calls Serbia DNP "unacceptable"
Jayson Tatum received his second 2024 Paris Olympic DNP during Team USA's 95-91 semifinal comeback win over Serbia on Thursday. The superstar forward's latest omission from coach Steve Kerr's rotation elicited speculation about his health status. However, according to Tatum's mother, Brandy Cole, her son isn't dealing with any injuries.
Tatum was originally benched during Team USA's 110-84 group phase-opening victory over Serbia on July 28. Many took issue with the decision, with Kerr attributing it to matchups and pledging to reinsert the five-time NBA All-Star into his rotation.
However, after playing Tatum three straight group phase and knockout-round games, Kerr gave him another DNP during Thursday's must-win rematch against the Serbians.
With a spot in Saturday's gold medal game at stake, the veteran coach rolled out a tight 10-man rotation. Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton also didn't receive any playing time. Meanwhile, superstar forward Kevin Durant (24 minutes) was the lone reserve to play more than 13 minutes.
Despite Team USA falling into a 17-point first-half deficit, Kerr held firm with his decision to bench Tatum. It ultimately paid off, as his squad rallied for a four-point victory behind superstar point guard Steph Curry's game-high 36 points. Nonetheless, many wondered whether Tatum could have helped the U.S. avoid trailing by so many points.
That seemingly included veteran ESPN analyst Dick Vitale, who posted on X/Twitter after the game looking for an update on Tatum's status.
"Someone please let me know if Jayson Tatum is injured, as he hasn’t received the playing time you would expect an All-NBA player to get," Vitale said.
Tatum's mother later confirmed that her son isn't dealing with any physical ailments, expressing confusion as to why he didn't play.
"No, he's not. But if you find out what’s going on, please let me know. [It's] unacceptable and makes NO SENSE," Cole said.
Despite picking up his second DNP, Tatum displayed a positive attitude during Team USA's comeback win, cheering on his teammates from the bench. He has one more chance to suit up on Saturday against France. It remains to be seen if he will be reinserted into Kerr's rotation with a gold medal on the line.
Jayson Tatum played key role during Team USA's 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medal run
While Jayson Tatum has struggled to carve out a consistent spot in Steve Kerr's rotation, it seemingly isn't due to inexperience. The reigning NBA champion played a key role during Team USA's 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medal run.
Over six outings, Tatum finished second in scoring (15.2 points per game) behind Kevin Durant (20.7 ppg). He also came up big in the Americans' 87-82 gold medal victory over France, recording 19 points, seven rebounds and three 3-pointers, shooting 57.1%.
Both teams' rosters have changed considerably since then. Nevertheless, perhaps Tatum's experience against the French will work in his favor on Saturday as he pursues his second Olympic gold medal.
Also Read: Jayson Tatum's mom retweets explosive criticism of Steve Kerr after NBA champ gets benched again