Celtics owner, Jayson Tatum's mom rip Steve Kerr for star's Olympic usage

BOSTON — Team USA’s narrow escape Thursday against Serbia hasn’t spared head coach Steve Kerr from pointed and widespread criticism.

Kerr’s decision not to play Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum in the Olympic semifinals — and not deviate from that plan even as the sharpshooting Serbians led by double digits for much of the game — drew the ire of everyone from NBA legends to Tatum’s own mother.

After the game, which the U.S. rallied to win 95-91 to book a matchup with France in the gold-medal game, Tatum’s mom, Brandy Cole, posted an angry message on X, saying her son’s lack of playing time was “unacceptable and makes NO SENSE.”

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck also spoke out against Kerr’s roster management during a Friday morning radio interview.

“I mean, I wouldn’t play Steve Kerr, let me put it that way, if I was putting a coaching staff together,” Grousbeck said on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “What’s going on? It’s a mystery. It’s a complete mystery. I think Jayson doesn’t deserve anything but praise, kudos and playing time.

“I think he and Jaylen (Brown, who was not chosen for the Olympic roster) led us to this unbelievable championship, and they’re not apparently helping out the Olympic team. They’re not able to be helpful in the Olympic team, and just leave it at that. It’s mystifying.”

In the eyes of Celtics icon Bob Cousy, Kerr’s choice to sit Tatum was “an embarrassment” that showed “some kind of bias that he’s got against the Celtics.”

“He must think Tatum is a detriment,” Cousy told The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy, “and I don’t see how he can feel that way and know anything about basketball.”

It was Tatum’s second DNP in five Olympic contests, with the first also coming against Serbia in the group stage. Team USA didn’t need the perennial first-team All-NBAer to take that game, which it won by 26, but could have used his defensive versatility in the semifinal. Serbia nearly buried the Americans beneath a barrage of 3-pointers, starting 9 for 11 from deep and making 60% of its 3s over the first three quarters before an ice-cold 0 for 10 fourth derailed its upset bid.

The U.S. also got little from its bench until a clutch late flurry from Kevin Durant, with its five reserves scoring a total of 15 points. Anthony Edwards, a less accomplished player than Tatum, had two points in 13 minutes and was a -14.

Tatum has played a total of 60 minutes in Paris, fewer than Celtics teammates Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, he played at least 17 minutes in every game (123 total) and was the United States’ second-leading scorer behind Durant — albeit on a squad that did not feature LeBron James (16-12-10 triple-double vs. Serbia) or Stephen Curry (36 points, eight rebounds).

He and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton were the only U.S. players who did not see the floor Thursday.

“(Kerr) has not used his team properly,” Charles Barkley, a Basketball Hall of Famer and two-time gold medalist, said Friday on ESPN Radio. “There should never be a debate on guys getting to play and not getting to play. Listen, put Jayson Tatum in an NBA game, he’s going to be better than 99 percent of the guys already in the world, but especially guys who are coming from a foreign country.”

Why has Tatum’s role shrunk so significantly? Kerr chalked it up to the “math” of trying to manage Team USA’s most talented roster in decades.

“It’s not what I’m not seeing from Jayson, it’s what I’ve seen from the other guys,” Kerr told reporters in Paris. “Like I’ve said many times during this tournament and the last six weeks, it’s just hard to play 11 people, even in an NBA game. Our second unit was not great (Thursday) night, but that group has been one of the bright spots on this team, especially on the defensive end.

“So it’s not about what Jayson is doing or not doing. 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.”

Kerr has tinkered with his rotations on a game-to-game basis, so he could feature Tatum more prominently when the U.S. faces host France for gold on Saturday. Regardless, both of Boston’s stars — Brown for his snub, Tatum for his benchings — now will have extra motivation heading into the NBA season, especially when Kerr’s Golden State Warriors come to town.