Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is used to criticism for his rotation decisions despite leading them to four NBA titles.
Apparently, Kerr did not think this criticism would follow him to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics as the Team USA head coach.
Sure, coaching that looks to be the new iteration of the “Dream Team” can’t come easy. Egos need to be checked at the door. Players must do things that they’re not accustomed to during the marathon of an NBA season.
But this criticism has taken on new meaning. Fans were not happy about reigning NBA champion Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics being benched during USA’s opening win over Serbia. The same fans were not happy about Joel Embiid being benched in their win over South Sudan on Wednesday.
While Team USA is going to the quarterfinals heading into the final game of the group stage against Puerto Rico on Saturday, drama is seemingly taking hold.
Related: 2024 Summer Olympics TV schedule
Steve Kerr calls out criticism of roster decisions for Team USA during Summer Olympics
Kerr touched on these criticisms just recently. He was not having any of it. He also doesn’t want the players to pay any attention to it.
“They’re pros and committed to each other,” Kerr said, per the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver. “I don’t read social media. I would hope our guys aren’t paying too much attention to that. That’s a regular season thing where the soap opera can carry the ratings. Here, it’s just win a damn gold.”
To be fair, we have seen some uneven play from Team USA throughout the exhibition slate and during the Summer Olympics.
With a team this talented, it makes sense that Kerr would have some issues finding the right rotation. But as the team enters the quarterfinals, things need to change. The competition will get more stiff.
And while Kerr is not having the criticism, it’s what he took on when he decided to lead this super team.