Every NBA coach receives a ton of criticism every single season, but Steve Kerr just experienced more than usual.
Kerr stepped up to lead Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics and every move he made was closely monitored and scrutinized.
Speaking on the “Tolbert and Copes Show,” Kerr opened up about how he addressed the “elephant in the room” with his multiple superstars.
“I addressed the team before the first practice, and we talked about it,” Kerr said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “… The elephant in the room is that every guy in here is going to go into the Hall of Fame eventually. So, how do we figure out how to play, how to put together [lineup] combinations and I said, ‘I’m going to ask all of you to commit to just winning and to set everything else aside, all the usual NBA BS.’
Steve Kerr shared how he addressed the "elephant in the room" with Team USA before Olympic play began ?https://t.co/ztZ0UKl4S2
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) August 15, 2024
He said all players on the team handled this conversation very well and supported one another.
He called Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid “world-class players” who were willing to accept limited minutes for the sake of the team.
However, he added that “nobody is used to seeing them play so few minutes. So, it’s a weird spectacle, I get it.”
While Tatum and Embiid accepted their minimized roles with Team USA, many of their fans did not.
Boston Celtics followers were upset to see so little of Tatum and were shocked when he sat out entirely for two games.
But Kerr said every player understood the sacrifices that needed to be made.
In the end, Team USA won the gold medal, so it seems it was all worth it.
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