Stephen A. Smith calls out Steve Kerr for benching Jayson Tatum

The 2024 United States Olympic men’s basketball team has dominated its group stage opponents in their contests against Serbia and South Sudan. However, the U.S. team’s early success hasn’t come without a bit of drama regarding starting lineups.

Head coach Steve Kerr, who coaches the Golden State Warriors, caught a lot of flack for benching Celtics star Jayson Tatum versus Serbia in the U.S.’s first Olympic game on July 28. Prior to the matchup, Kerr reportedly told Tatum that the reigning NBA champion probably wasn’t going to receive playing time.

After the U.S. defeated Serbia 110-84, Kerr told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that he “felt like an idiot” for sitting Tatum.

Nevertheless, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith still hasn’t gotten over Kerr’s controversial decision. The sports media personality defended Tatum on Friday’s edition of “First Take.”

“Jayson Tatum ain’t even 28. The man has been to five conference finals, two NBA Finals, and has been first-team All-NBA for the last three years. In the process, he swept (Kevin Durant) one of those years … and is the reigning, defending NBA champion who just finished averaging nearly 27 points per game,” Smith said. “He was the second-best player to Kevin Durant in the games in Tokyo. And before you even go out for warmups, you’re letting him know, ‘We got 10 players we gonna play before you. We might not get to you.’ You have any idea how insulting that is?”

Smith went on to explain that the U.S. men’s basketball team features two current Celtics players who aren’t on Tatum’s level. Like many U.S. fans, he can’t seem to understand why Jrue Holiday and Derrick White got playing time over Tatum in the game.

“The Boston Celtics are the reigning, defending champions. Who’s their number one option? Jayson Tatum. Who defers to Jayson Tatum? Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White. Two players from the Boston Celtics that defer to him eight months out of the year, he playing behind. That don’t make no damn sense. … You’re telling me with a straight face, Steve Kerr, ‘I got 10 dudes in the world that I’m going to play on the court before Jayson Tatum’ … he told him before the game, ‘You might not play.’”

Tatum called being sidelined “humbling” after he returned to the starting lineup and the U.S. beat South Sudan on Wednesday.

“It’s a unique situation, and it’s not about one individual player, competitor in you wants to play obviously, but I’m not here to make a story about myself,” he told reporters. “You win a championship, new contract, NBA 2K25 cover, Sports Illustrated … so after all of this, it’s definitely a humbling experience.”

Tatum played 17 minutes, scoring four points and grabbing five rebounds plus blocking one shot versus South Sudan.

Kerr, however, opted to bench 76ers star Joel Embiid against South Sudan. The 7-foot-1 center had started against Serbia.

The U.S. is slated to play Puerto Rico on Saturday. What the U.S. starting lineup will look like in the matchup remains to be seen.