Tatum’s benching invited much scrutiny from basketball fans and observers around the world. As the star of the newest NBA champions, Tatum was expected to play a crucial role in Team USA’s Olympic campaign. However, he never saw the floor in the 26-point rout of Serbia headed by Denver Nuggets star Nikola . Speculations quickly spread that the Celtics star was possibly nursing an injury or illness, although Tatum said after the game that he was perfectly healthy.

Head coach Steve Kerr owned up to his decision to bench Tatum to the reporters after the game. He noted that Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant was making his return to action after a hamstring injury, and he wanted Durant to catch a good rhythm that would carry over to the rest of their games. Durant had missed all of Team USA’s exhibition games leading up to the Olympics. Moreover, Kerr added that he “went with combinations that made sense,” which ultimately edged out Tatum. Still, Kerr quickly added that the one-time champion forward will “make his mark” in future games.