Tatum is a star, without question. So it’s been puzzling fans why he’s had such little play time as the team has advanced to the finals.
PARIS, France — Jayson Tatum has not played in two of the five U.S. games at the Paris Olympics, held out of both matchups against Serbia.
And once again, U.S. coach Steve Kerr said Friday that it’s not an indictment of Tatum.
“It’s not what I’m not seeing from Jayson. It’s what I’ve seen from the other guys,” Kerr said. “Like I’ve said many times during this tournament and this last six weeks, it’s just hard to play 11 people, even in an NBA game.”
Being down for most of the game — the U.S. trailed by 17 points in the first half and by 15 late in the third quarter — led to Kerr shortening his rotation in the semifinal victory. Stephen Curry played 33 minutes and LeBron James played 32, the first two instances of a U.S. player logging more than 27 minutes in any game of this tournament.
Part of that was because the second unit, a strength for the Americans in the first four games, never clicked Thursday night. That grouping of Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Derrick White, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Edwards played only four minutes together, getting outscored 17-4 while Serbia made all five of its field-goal tries.
Tatum is a star, without question. He agreed to an NBA-record $315 million contract this summer, is a perennial All-NBA pick and now is a champion as well. It also should be noted that Tatum was one of two players to log 23 minutes in the group stage finale against Puerto Rico — and that he’s the only player on the roster not to make a 3-pointer yet in these Olympics.
“It’s not about anything Jayson is doing or not doing,” Kerr said. “It’s just about combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin has filled in since he came back from his injury. It’s just a math problem more than anything.”
5 games, 5 leaders
Through five games, the U.S. has had five different leaders in scoring at these Paris Games. And that makes it tough to say who’ll lead in the gold-medal game against France on Saturday night.
Kevin Durant scored 23 in the tournament opener against Serbia. Bam Adebayo had 18 against South Sudan, Anthony Edwards had 26 against Puerto Rico, Devin Booker scored 18 against Brazil and Stephen Curry scored 36 in the comeback over Serbia in the semifinals.
Curry shot only three times against Brazil in the quarterfinals.
“It’s whatever the game calls for. I shot three times last game and I wasn’t looking to force it because that’s not what the game called for,” Curry said. “So, that’s the beauty of Team USA and FIBA and this whole experience. Every game, it’s been somebody different. And it’s going to be somebody different, hopefully, with everybody contributing on Saturday.”
Durant has chance at 4-timers club
Kevin Durant is one win away from becoming the first men’s player with four Olympic gold medals. And it’s a fairly short list of Americans with four golds in any event.
Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi each have five gold medals in women’s basketball, while Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, Sylvia Fowles and Tamika Catchings each have four golds.
The rest of the four-time champions in the same event is pretty much a who’s who of U.S. Olympic history.
Swimming icon Michael Phelps has done it in three different events (4×100-meter medley relay, 4×200-meter freestyle relay and 200-meter individual medley).
Others in the four-time, one-event, gold-medal club: swimmers Katie Ledecky (800-meter freestyle) and Ryan Lochte (4×200-meter freestyle relay), sprinter Allyson Felix (4×400-meter relay), discus thrower Al Oerter, long jumper Carl Lewis and shooter Vincent Hancock (skeet).
Celtics can make history
The three members of the NBA champion Boston Celtics on this team — Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White — can join a special club if the U.S. beats France for gold on Saturday.
There have been only 12 instances of a player winning an NBA or WNBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year.
Holiday did it once before, winning the NBA title with Milwaukee in 2021 before going to the Tokyo Games and helping the U.S. win gold.
The others on the list: Stefanie Dolson (a 3×3 winner in Tokyo) in 2021, Khris Middleton in 2021, Kyrie Irving in 2016, LeBron James and Tamika Catchings in 2012, Katie Smith in 2008, Sue Bird in 2004, Sheryl Swoopes in 2000, Scottie Pippen in 1992 and 1996, and Michael Jordan in 1992.