"Literally getting pity minutes": Celtics fans blast Team USA coach Steve Kerr for Jayson Tatum's lack of minutes in Olympics
Team USA coach Steve Kerr has been receiving a ton of criticism in the Olympics for the lack of playing time he's given to Jayson Tatum. In Team USA's Olympic debut versus Serbia, Tatum didn't even get on the floor, which caused quite a stir.
The Boston Celtics star's minutes have since fluctuated across the last three games. They've gone from 17 minutes against South Sudan, to 23 minutes versus Puerto Rico, to 19 minutes in Team USA's win over Brazil.
Celtics fans have let Steve Kerr have it, bashing the Golden State Warriors coach on X.
"I'm legit not kidding when I say that Jayson Tatum should quit the team. Subjecting a gold medalist, defending NBA champion, and a great teammate to this amount of embarrassment is pathetic. Steve Kerr is shameless," one fan posted.
"he's literally getting pity minutes so Kerr doesn't get berated on social media again," another fan commented.
"The -11 wasn't his fault. He missed one shot. His body language says he doesn't want to be there. Can't blame him," a third fan added.
One fan speculated that Tatum's lack of playing time is due to Kerr having beef with Boston
"That 50 point beating they gave the Warriors this year is still stinging lol," the fan said.
Meanwhile, other fans defended Kerr and blamed Tatum's play over the last three Team USA contests.
"You're acting like he's as good or better than the other players on the team. Wake up bro. He's decent, and gets elevated by the talent on the Celtics. But he's not him," one fan argued.
"Tatum's not just good enough. He's insignificant to the Celtics' championship, and now he's insignificant to Team USA," a second fan added.
Team USA defeated Brazil 122-87 on Tuesday to advance to the Olympic men's basketball semifinal.
Jayson Tatum reflects on Steve Kerr not playing him in Olympic opener versus Serbia
Jayson Tatum sat the entire Olympic opener on the bench, a decision that shocked fans and garnered Kerr plenty of criticism on social media.
When asked about the DNP following the game, Tatum stated per BasketNews,
"It's a unique situation, and it's not about one individual player. [The] competitor in you wants to play obviously, but I'm not here to make a story about myself. You win a championship, new contract, NBA 2k25 cover, Sports Illustrated... so after all of this, it's definitely a humbling experience."
In three Olympic appearances for Team USA, Jayson Tatum has averaged 6.3 points, 2.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds, shooting 46 percent from the field. He is also yet to connect on a 3-point look in these Olympics.
Despite Tatum's struggles, Team USA has managed a 4-0 record in the Olympics led by LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis among other strong contributors.
Team USA will take on Nikola Jokic and Serbia in the semifinals in pursuit of a gold medal finish in Paris.