Team USA Player Scoffs At Reporter Over Jayson Tatum Question

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr has a great problem on his hands for the Paris Olympics.

The Americans’ men’s basketball roster is loaded from top to bottom, featuring the likes of past MVPs, NBA champions and future Basketball Hall of Famers. The challenge for Kerr in the Summer Games is figuring out who will play each game, as all 12 players logging minutes in every contest isn’t feasible.

Jayson Tatum drew the short straw in the Olympics opener last week, but Kerr insisted the Boston Celtics star would see playing time going forward in the tournament. Bam Adebayo on Wednesday was asked if he wondered if his role would be diminished to get Tatum playing time, and the Miami Heat standout didn’t take kindly to the question.

“Why did you pick my name?” Adebayo asked the reporter, per The Athletic. “My accolades don’t stand up?”

The timing of the question likely factored into Adebayo’s ire. The three-time All-Star had just dropped a team-high 18 points to go along with seven rebounds in Team USA’s 103-86 win over South Sudan.

It was Joel Embiid who received the bench treatment from Kerr on Wednesday in France. We’ll have to wait and see how the Golden State Warriors coach utilizes his supremely talented roster for Saturday’s matchup with Puerto Rico.