Celtics’ Al Horford Calls Out Team USA over Jayson Tatum’s Role, Jaylen Brown’s Snub

Team USA executive director Grant Hill explained the decision, saying: “You get 12 spots, and you have to build a team. And one of the hardest things is leaving people off the roster that I’m a fan of. … But the responsibility that I have is to put together a team … that will give us the best opportunity for success. And, so, whatever theories that might be out there, they’re just that.”

Hill’s explanation prompted another response from Brown:

Horford said he thinks Brown should’ve gotten more consideration, as he’s shown immense growth in his game since the last time he played for Team USA and had a disappointing performance at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

“You saw an evolution in Jaylen’s game [last season],” Horford said. “It wasn’t just about scoring. He was getting people involved. He’s making the right reads. He is making the cuts when he needs to make it to the basket. And then, on the defensive end, he just took it to another level. His energy, his commitment to the defense—it was inspiring for all of us.”

Following Brown’s snub, Celtics fans were left with more questions when Tatum didn’t play a single minute in Team USA’s first group-stage game against Serbia. Team USA head coach Steve Kerr said he “felt like an idiot” for not playing Tatum, but he already drew the ire of Tatum’s parents, who reacted on social media:

Tatum finished the Olympics with averages of 5.25 points, 5.25 rebounds and 1.5 assists in less than 18 minutes per game. Horford added that he’s proud of how his teammates handled their respective situations, but he was still disappointed by how things played out.

“I know that they handled it well. They’re fine,” Horford said. “But when you see those two guys, the amount of work that they’ve put in, the sacrifices they have made. To be on the top of their games and that happened to them, it was hard to watch [the Olympics] and not see them in the position that we would’ve hoped to see them in.”