American basketball player Steve Kerr blames himself for not playing Jayson Tatum in Olympic opening game: ‘I felt like an idiot’

The United States men’s basketball team had its best game this summer in its Paris Olympics opener against Serbia, winning 110-84 to get its tournament off to a strong start.

But while there were plenty of reasons to be happy if you’re rooting for Team USA, the fact that Jayson Tatum didn’t touch the floor for the entire 40 minutes of competition turned a lot of heads.

Head coach Steve Kerr was asked about Tatum’s absence from the rotation in the opening game after the win, and he was very blunt about his own mistake in not playing him.

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Jayson Tatum of the United States Men’s National Team looks on during practice at Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan on July 27, 2024, in Paris. (Jesse D. GarrabrantNBAE via Getty Images)

“I felt like an idiot for not playing him,” Kerr said, according to ESPN.

Kerr sent 10 players in total 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.

“A 40-minute game can’t have more than 10 players,” Kerr said. “So I think Tatum is an incredible guy, a great player and he handled it wonderfully. He’ll be back on the court in the next game.”

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Kerr said he also spoke with Tatum before the game, letting him know playing time could be minimal or nonexistent.

“Yeah, it’s tough, but Jayson handled it really well,” Kerr said. “I told him before the game it could be like that, just with Kevin (Durant) coming back and the lineups I wanted to have. But it’s going to change. Jayson’s going to play, every game is going to be different depending on the matchups.

Jayson Tatum, left, and Stephen Curry of Team USA celebrate during the 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 American player off the bench and ended up leading the field 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 and guard Anthony Edwards in the win over Nikola Jokic’s Serbian team.

Tatum’s skills on the court are evident as he has been named to the All-NBA First Team each of the last three seasons, including during the Celtics’ title-winning campaign just a month ago.

The 26-year-old will finally get his first Olympics, 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 Stade Pierre Mauroy on July 28, 2024, in Lille, France. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)

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South Sudan had already posed a problem for the American team in London during an exhibition match on July 20, where LeBron James had to score a winning layup in the fourth quarter.

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