Jayson Tatum’s mom questions Steve Kerr’s rotations

Amid the controversy over Team USA coach Steve Kerr benching Jayson Tatum, another harsh critic has emerged: Tatum’s mom.

Someone pls let me know is @jaytatum0 injured as he hasn’t received the PT ( playing time ) u would expect an All NBAplayer to get .

— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) August 8, 2024

When pundit Dick Vitale asked via X if Tatum’s lack of playing time was due to an injury, he got a response from an authoritative source. Brandy Cole is an attorney who also happens to have given birth to the Boston Celtics’ All-NBA forward.

No he not. But if you find out what’s going on please let me know – unacceptable and makes NO SENSE. https://t.co/vtz1W398XJ

— BCole_Esq (@Brandy_N_Cole) August 9, 2024

Many NBA fans, and particularly Celtics fans, have been baffled by Tatum, fresh off an NBA title, falling out of Kerr’s Olympics rotation after Kevin Durant returned. Kerr slotted KD into Tatum’s spot as the reserve forward, and Tatum didn’t see the floor for either of Team USA’s games against Serbia, including Thursday’s comeback win.

Kerr told reporters that Tatum’s absence was due to a “math problem” of having a team full of All-Stars and only 40 minutes to share between them. Even when the bench lineup struggled, getting outscored 17-4 in their four minutes together, Kerr leaned on starters LeBron James, Steph Curry and Devin Booker for big minutes rather than going with Tatum.

But now Kerr has incurred the ire of Tatum’s mother. Still, don’t expect that to change the Warriors coach’s rotations. 

Meanwhile, Durant’s mother is in Paris and praising the team’s work ethic and “figuring out lineups.”

We’ll see if Tatum sees the court for the gold-medal game against France.