"Push this weak a** narrative" - Ex-NBA champ fires shots at Steve Kerr criticizing Jayson Tatum's 'fall guy' status

A former player under Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors has criticized the coach's decision not to fully utilize Jayson Tatum during Team USA’s 2024 Paris Olympics campaign, even though the team ultimately secured the gold medal.

Nick Young took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his frustration with Steve Kerr's choices, arguing that the criticism Tatum received for being benched was unjust and that Tatum was unfairly made the scapegoat.

Young also shared his thoughts on former Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski, suggesting that Coach K wouldn’t have benched star players in favor of role players.

“So instead of ppl saying Kerr was tripping, they rather bash Tatum and Ant Man—my favorite—but don’t move the goalpost for him and other players and make Tatum the fall guy,” Young wrote.

“[T]hen push this weak a** narrative like Tatum and Brown, both elites, one All-NBA & the other Finals MVP, gotta take the backseat to a defensive player and that they basically [didn't] fit on the team…Coach K wasn’t playing T. Prince over Melo or Iggy over KD…that's coaching.”

Young played 80 games under Kerr, averaging 7.3 points, 1.6 assists and 1.6 rebounds per game during his one-year stint with the Warriors.

Young isn’t the first Warrior to criticize Kerr’s handling of Tatum’s minutes. Draymond Green also questioned the decision to limit Tatum’s playing time during the Paris Olympics.

"You don't not play Jayson Tatum," Green said after Tatum received a DNP in Team USA’s opening game. "That man just won an NBA championship, cover of NBA 2K, cover of Sports Illustrated, just signed the biggest contract in NBA history, oh and by the way, your reward is to sit down and don't play in the first Olympic game."

“Not playing (Tatum) was wrong,” Green added. “We all know it was wrong. He should’ve played. He didn’t. But he should have. So, it was wrong, and we know that."

Tatum was notably benched in both the semifinals against Serbia and an earlier group-stage match against the same team. Although he started in the final two group-stage games, he was benched again in the quarterfinals.

Is Erik Spoelstra the next in line for Team USA head coach after Steve Kerr?

There are reports suggesting that Steve Kerr’s tenure as Team USA’s head coach may have ended with the 2024 Paris Olympics, marking his potential retirement from international coaching after leading the team to a gold medal.

According to NBA reporter Evan Sidery, Steve Kerr is likely to step down as Team USA head coach, paving the way for a new leader ahead of the 2028 Olympics, which will be held in Los Angeles.

Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors' head coach, was appointed as Team USA's head coach for the 2022-24 cycle, leading the team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

He succeeded Gregg Popovich, who guided Team USA to gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Kerr was an assistant coach on that team and has a long-standing connection with USA Basketball, including winning a gold medal as a player at the 1986 FIBA World Championship.

According to Sidery, Erik Spoelstra is considered the leading internal candidate to succeed Kerr. Spoelstra, who served as an assistant coach on this year’s team, has a strong NBA championship pedigree.

Spoelstra is well-versed in managing star-studded rosters, having coached the Miami Heat during the "Heatles" era with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Under Spoelstra's leadership through the 2023-24 season, the Miami Heat compiled a 750-527 regular season record (.587 winning percentage) and a 110-79 postseason record (.582 winning percentage).

The team made 13 postseason appearances, won nine division titles, secured six conference championships and captured two NBA championships (2012 and 2013).