USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill has caught a lot of flak for some of the players he didn’t choose to assemble and represent Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The two main names were Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving and Boston Celtics star and reigning NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, with the latter being the biggest snub.
To make matters even worse was when Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard bowed out due to injury, and Brown wasn’t chosen as the replacement. The team opted for his Celtics teammate Derrick White instead. At the time Hill told reporters that it was his job to build a team “that will give us the best opportunity for success.”
Following the choice, Brown when asked via X if he believed Nike played a role in the decision, his response was, “I do for sure.”
While attending the ESPYs Brown did his best to change the subject when former NFL MVP Cam Newton asked him about it.
“I really don’t really got no comment. You know what I mean? I got my beautiful date right here,” Brown said.
Grant Hill Open To Brown Being Part Of Team Going Forward
During an appearance on the “Open Run With Rachel Nichols” show, Hill sounded like he’s definitely open to the possibility of Brown being on the team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles,
“It’s a lot of noise. I’m confident me and him will sit down at some point and talk about it and get to some level of understanding,” Hill said. “Look, he’ll be a candidate if he wants in 28.” Hill added that he’s learned that “you can’t take anything personal.”
Celtics fans and basketball fans as a whole, however, are taking it personally. Hill’s desire to consider Brown for the next Olympics didn’t sit well with some who saw it as a switch up.
“Don’t switch up now bitch ass mf stay on that side,” wrote one fan.
Grant Hill says he’d consider Jaylen Brown for the 2028 Olympic Team 👀
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 8, 2024
(🎥 @allthesmokeprod) pic.twitter.com/QJxH28oxtw
Even minus Brown, Team USA has three other Celtics players who just helped lead the team its NBA record 18th NBA title and Boston’s first since 2008. One of those players is Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, who’s been named first team All-NBA three consecutive seasons but has found himself on the outside looking in on Team USA coach Steve Kerr’s rotation.
Others, including former NBA player turned podcaster Gilbert Arenas, feels the supposed disrespect to both Tatum and Brown will only fuel their need for revenge in the next NBA season.
Kerr’s Rotations Called Out
During Team USA’s entire run Kerr has had his rotations questioned. Things have gotten so bad that Tatum hasn’t played in either matchup versus Serbia.
During Thursday’s heated and highly contested semifinal win over the Serbs, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green questioned his coach, saying, “sometimes you gotta scrap them rotations.”
Green said that in reference to how Kerr was constantly taking out guys even though they had a good rhythm and replacing them with others so they could get minutes. But that didn’t help Tatum’s cause, as he and Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton were once again the only players with a DNP-CD (did not play-coach’s decision) by their name against Serbia for the second time this Olympics.
In a postgame interview with ESPN, Kerr didn’t specifically address why he chose to sit Tatum again, but he gave his reasoning for sticking with certain players.
“The guys, they determined the lineup, really,” Kerr said. “They were individually and collectively playing the best we had all night and so we just stayed with them.”
America: Grant! Steve Kerr clearly doesn’t know what he’s doing. As the head of USA Basketball, can you please make a change?!
— Andrew Addison, Esq. (@TheAndrewSystem) August 8, 2024
Grant Hill: pic.twitter.com/NEK03IeosJ
This is was a different response from Kerr than the previous matchup versus Serbia when he pretty much called himself an “idiot” for not playing Tatum.
In all honesty, not playing Tatum isn’t a bad thing, especially when the team has Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Tatum’s time to shine will come in 2028 and 2032, where he’ll be one of the focal points of the roster.
Right now it’s KD and Bron’s Olympic swan song, and they’re doing their best to finish with the gold.
Team USA will compete for gold against France on Saturday who is pushing for history, lead by San Antonio’s power forward Victor Wembanyama. Team USA hopes to secure its fifth straight gold medal while France seeks its first in the sport.
