Hall of Fame basketball player Bob Cousy has accused Team USA coach Steve Kerr of intentionally embarrassing Jayson Tatum during the Olympics due to a bias against the Boston Celtics.
Cousy, aged 96, expressed his frustration after Tatum was benched during Team USA’s comeback win against Serbia, marking the second time Tatum did not play in the tournament. Cousy believes that Kerr’s decision not to play Tatum, a prominent Celtics player, reflects poorly on Tatum globally and tarnishes his reputation.
Cousy further argued that this treatment is particularly damaging given Tatum’s recent accomplishments, including leading the Celtics to an NBA title and being recognized as one of the top five basketball players worldwide.
He questioned why Kerr could not allocate even a few minutes of playing time to Tatum, suggesting that Kerr’s actions were rooted in an anti-Celtics sentiment. Cousy emphasized the significance of Tatum’s global status and the potential impact on his career due to Kerr’s decision.
Despite Cousy’s strong accusations, the claim of bias does not hold up under closer examination. Kerr has consistently given playing time to other Celtics players, such as Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, who are averaging significant minutes per game at the Olympics.
This indicates that Kerr is not uniformly biased against Celtics players. Additionally, other star players, including Joel Embiid, have also experienced limited playing time, depending on the matchup and strategic needs of the team.
Kerr’s coaching strategy involves a 10-man rotation, which inevitably results in some players being benched during certain games. While Cousy might disagree with Kerr’s decision to bench Tatum, it is part of the coach’s broader strategy to adapt to specific opponents.
In this context, Kerr prioritized Embiid over Tatum against Serbia due to Embiid’s effectiveness against their skilled big men, further challenging the notion of an anti-Celtics bias.
While Cousy is critical of Kerr’s decisions regarding Tatum, the allegations of bias seem unfounded when considering Kerr’s overall coaching approach and the playing time allotted to other Celtics players.
The situation highlights the complexities of team management at the Olympic level, where strategic choices often lead to difficult decisions about player rotation. Kerr’s focus on matchups and overall team success appears to be the driving factor behind his decisions, rather than any personal bias against Tatum or the Celtics.
