Team USA, the heavy favorite for gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, opened their campaign with a dominant 110-84 victory over Serbia, the reigning world runner-up. However, the absence of Celtics star Jayson Tatum from the rotation raised eyebrows and sparked debate among fans and analysts.
Despite being an integral part of the Celtics’ recent NBA championship run, Tatum did not see a single minute of action in the opening Group C game. Charles Barkley, a basketball legend and analyst, criticized Steve Kerr’s decision on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“Everybody deserves to play at least 10 minutes,” Barkley said. “Chuck Daly did a fantastic job with the Dream Team in 1992. He had two starting units. He said, ‘You guys are gonna start when we’re playing against the best teams,’ and that included me and Michael [Jordan] and those guys.”
Barkley elaborated on Daly’s approach: “He also had a second starting five for certain games. He’d rotate us, saying, ‘You guys play the first ten minutes, you guys play the second ten minutes.’ That’s what we did, and none of us played over 25 minutes. You can’t expect everybody to practice hard and then not play in the damn Olympics. You have to give them 10-15 minutes along the way.”
Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. IMAGO / Icon Sportswire
Team USA’s Schedule at Paris 2024 Olympics
Team USA started their Paris 2024 Olympic campaign on a high note, securing a commanding 110-84 victory over Serbia. Kevin Durant and LeBron James led the charge, showcasing their dominance and securing the first 2 points for the U.S. in Group C.
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Next up, Team USA will face South Sudan on Wednesday, July 31. This matchup promises to be intense, as Team USA narrowly edged out South Sudan by just one point in a pre-tournament friendly.
The group stage will conclude with a game against Puerto Rico on Saturday, August 3. With their eyes set on advancing, Team USA will aim to finish strong and build momentum heading into the knockout rounds.
