Team USA had a good debut in Men’s Basketball. The star-studded group crushed top contender Serbia on Monday, 110-84, with great performances from LeBron James and Kevin Durant, coincidentally among the oldest guys in the squad. 

That should’ve easily been the one and only talking point postgame, but it got mixed in with one weird occurrence: Jayson Tatum getting benched for the entire game. 

Yes, the superstar of the recently crowned NBA champion Boston Celtics, who’s a perennial All-Star and All-NBA first team member in each of the last three seasons, got a whopping zero minutes in the Olympics. It is pretty strange, especially when two of his Celtics teammates, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, got a good amount, which doubles down when you remember that White was only a last-minute replacement.

Do note that Indiana Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton also didn’t play. Then again, there’s a stark difference in hierarchy between Haliburton and Tatum, as evident in getting this funny quip:

But what really happened? Here’s head coach Steve Kerr’s explanation:

“[Jayson Tatum] handled it pretty well. I talked to him before the game that it may play out this way with Kevin [Durant] coming back and the lineups I want to get into. But, that will change, Jayson is gonna play. 

Every game is gonna be different based on matchups. He’s a total pro. He’s first team All-NBA three years in a row. I felt like an idiot not playing him, but in a 40-minute game, you can’t play more than 10 … He’s an amazing guy and handled it beautifully. He’ll be back out there next game.”

With that, others have put their conspiracy theory hat on, believing that it’s the work of the powers that be:

Quick context: there’s controversy as to how USA Basketball structured the 2024 Olympic team. Many expected the best of the best to be selected following the disappointing fourth place finish in FIBA last year, which would include Kyrie Irving and 2024 finals MVP Jaylen Brown. 

Both got left out despite showing interest, the two guys who have been critical of Nike, who happens to be the official sponsor of Team USA. Brown and Grant Hill then exchanged words in separate interviews, Tatum backed up his teammate, and then he suddenly sat on the bench for the team’s very next game. Coincidence? You be the judge.

Additionally, Kerr’s reasoning isn’t exactly convincing. On the surface, it is perfectly reasonable because it’s all about the five you want on the floor and the matchups they present, and as mentioned, the other forwards–James and Durant–we’re playing superbly (31 pts on 13/13 FGs in the 1st half). However, we are talking about a first team All-NBA player here–how do you know pregame that it’s best to sit one of your best players? Also, regardless of schemes, you’d expect coaches to have a normal instinct to play such a talent. Also, it was already a blowout midway into the second half, so it’s really strange.

So, yeah, it’s somewhat of a big deal because it’s bizarre – a first of its kind even. We’ll see what happens in the next game vs. South Sudan. Kerr has already said Tatum will finally play.