Team USA’s thrilling 95-91 victory over Serbia in the Paris Olympics semifinals secured their spot in the final. Nevertheless, the game was overshadowed by the unexpected benching of star player Jayson Tatum. The decision by head coach Steve Kerr to keep Tatum off the court has sparked widespread criticism and debate, but Kerr explained it as a “math problem.”
The controversy escalated further when Rob Reinhart of the New York Herald reported an alleged audio exchange between LeBron James and Kevin Durant. In the audio, the two stars reportedly expressed frustration over Tatum’s benching. According to the audio, James was particularly candid in his criticism of Kerr.
“I mean, I know him and Steph [Curry] are boys, but I don’t think I can play for him again. He has no idea what he’s doing. I don’t know what he has against JT [Jayson Tatum], but it’s so childish. Like, why won’t you play him? It makes no f**king sense. We need the help, and he’s there; why not just play him? Kerr is such a f**king idiot,” James allegedly said.
#BREAKING: The Herald has obtained locker room audio of LeBron James criticizing Team USA head coach Steve Kerr and his choice to not play Jayson Tatum during the Olympic semi-final.
The conversation with Kevin Durant occurred after yesterday’s game at #Paris2024. pic.twitter.com/npEAj3pXrb
— Rob Reinhart (@RealRobReinhart) August 9, 2024
Durant then replied, adding, “We’re still gonna f**king win, though. Even if we win gold, it’s not on coach. Guy’s a f**king disaster.”
As with everything today, you always have to consider the possibility that whatever we’re watching and/or hearing is A.I. generated. And that appears to be the case here, based on some fact-checking on ‘X.”
It was always a strong possibility that LeBron never said these things, especially after a big win for Team USA over Serbia. But that didn’t stop social media from getting all riled up by the fake audio.
Please be real
— Stephen Ai Smith ᶠᵃⁿ (@stephenaismth) August 9, 2024
Someone needs to confirm if this is AI or not
— Gregory Bearden (@greglostabet) August 9, 2024
YIKES👀
— NKY Bracket Guy (@BracketNky) August 9, 2024
Ayo this for real or Ai? Lmao let’s go! I hope there’s a Netflix documentary on this team also with this
— 𝕊𝕚𝕘𝕘𝕪𝔾𝕦𝕟𝕤 (@Siggyv) August 9, 2024
Lou Williams Questions Conspiracy Against Celtics Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
Despite their success in the NBA, Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have faced surprising setbacks in the Paris Olympics. Jaylen Brown was left off the 12-man Team USA roster entirely, while Jayson Tatum has seen limited playing time, even being benched during crucial games.
This situation has led some to question whether there’s more at play behind the scenes. Los Angeles Clippers legend Lou Williams shared his thoughts on the matter during an episode of his podcast, “The Underground Lounge.”
“Is there a conspiracy theory going on against Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown? I really want to know because I’m trying to wrap my head around this whole concept of Jaylen Brown not being on that team,” Williams said.
“I’m trying to wrap my mind around the league trying to pit them against each other when they’ve never done that to two superstars. I’ve never seen that. Now you got JT not getting minutes, and I get it, those were Kevin Durant’s minutes,” he added.
Team USA prepares for the gold medal game against France, tipping off on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to see if Tatum gets a chance to showcase his prowess against France.
