Kendrick Perkins goes off on Steve Kerr for not playing Jayson Tatum vs. Serbia: "You do not disrespect him and embarrass him"

Despite Team USA's 26-point victory over Serbia, Jayson Tatum not receiving any playing time in the Olympic opener became a bigger story. Kendrick Perkins attributed the subsequent ridicule and criticism JT faced on social media to coach Steve Kerr's inability to recognize the 6'8" forward's versatility, sounding off on the former's decision to keep Tatum on the bench for the entire game.

Perkins calls out Kerr for disrespecting Tatum

On the latest episode of First Take, " Big Perk " criticized Kerr, emphasizing that Tatum's on-court abilities extend beyond the forward position, which allows him to adapt his playing style to meet the team's needs.

With JT and Tyrese Haliburton being the only two players to receive no game time, Kendrick expressed his bewilderment at the apparent lack of respect for the Celtics forward, particularly considering that the 26-year-old has achieved the most among the next generation of superstars.

"Jayson Tatum is a versatile player... if you want him to play the two, he can play the two, if you want him to play the wing… he's 6'9" with a versatile package on both ends of the floor," Perkins said . "My thing is, if you're Steve Kerr, and Steve Kerr called out all his accolades of what this man has accomplished, you know what Jayson Tatum is going to bring to the table. You do not disrespect him and embarrass him the way that you did."

Perkins reminded Kerr of Tatum's outstanding performance during the 2020 Olympics, where he was arguably Team USA's best player after Kevin Durant. The Celtics forward averaged 15.2 points on 49.3% from the field and 44.7% from 3-point range in six games as a bench player.

Kerr vows to use Tatum

Although there's no denying that KD's return altered Kerr's plans, the Golden State Warriors head coach admitted feeling guilty for not playing Tatum in the entire opening game, even referring to himself as an "idiot."

Nevertheless, he vowed that Jayson would play a significant role throughout the tournament, as each game would present a different challenge for Team USA.

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