The United States opened the 2024 Olympic men’s basketball competition with a 110-84 victory over Serbia on Sunday, but former Duke basketball star [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag] never saw the court.
The Americans took down three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, outscoring him and his countrymen 52-35 over the final two quarters en route to victory. NBA legends LeBron James and Kevin Durant combined for 44 points, making 17 of their 22 shots from the floor.
10 different players took the floor for Team USA, but Tatum never left the bench. No explanation was given about his availability before the game.
The decision, while it ultimately didn’t affect the U.S. team, seems inexplicable on paper. Tatum made the starting five for an exhibition game against Serbia earlier this month, and he’s fresh off his first NBA championship with the Boston Celtics this season. He even helped the United States win gold at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo three years ago.
Despite Tatum leading Boston in points, rebounds, and assists during their playoff run this summer, two of his teammates played ahead of him on Sunday. Jrue Holiday made the starting lineup, and Derrick White (a late replacement for Kawhi Leonard) came off the bench for two points and two steals.