Aaron Gordon ‘Salty’ Over Steve Kerr’s False Olympics Promise

Although Team USA won gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Aaron Gordon didn’t seem satisfied. He showcased frustration at being excluded from the roster and even called out the national team’s head coach, Steve Kerr, for giving him false hopes.

Gordon recounted speaking to Kerr after the Denver Nuggets’ road win against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. He claimed Coach Kerr had inquired about his interest in representing Team USA. Although the 29-year-old had accepted this invitation, he never received the eventual call-up. The Nuggets star reflected on this agonizing moment on X, stating,

“After we beat the warriors in the bay Steve Kerr asked if I wanted to play on the USA team… idk bro. It’s a bit rhetorical but hey we got gold.”

These comments complemented his earlier dubious declaration at the Nuggets’ media day. While he didn’t blame Kerr that time, he admitted feeling salty about the snub. This later led to him enjoying his franchise teammate and Serbian maestro, Nikola Jokic, pushing Team USA to the limit in the Paris Olympics semi-final. He said,

“I was asked if I wanted to play for USA and then the call never came around. There was a little bit of salt there in the first place. And then to see Jok [Nikola Jokic] take them to the wire like that, it’s like, ‘This is dope’… But all that being said, ‘America.'”

Gordon‘s frustration was justified to a certain extent. After all, he has established himself as a formidable force under the rim. For context, he averaged 15 points per game over the last two seasons with a field goal percentage of 56%. His 6.5 rebounds per game during this period were also key in helping the Nuggets secure their inaugural championship.

Kerr‘s interest in Gordon’s availability had the Nuggets forward thinking he was a lock for the national team. He was understandably upset when things didn’t pan out as he had hoped. However, this fails to substantiate his decision to call out Coach Kerr. It also doesn’t justify his questionable stance against the national team.

To put things in perspective, Kerr was not responsible for finalizing the Team USA roster. That task fell to Grant Hill, the managing director of the national team. He seemingly considered Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis as better alternatives for the hybrid forward-center role, and understandably so.

Neither Kerr nor Team USA thus held any personal vendetta against Gordon. The Nuggets star also realized this once his disappointment subsided. He consequently started focusing on the bigger picture.

Gordon remains committed to Team USA

The 2023 NBA champion later spoke about his determination to represent the national team in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Gordon, who will be 33 by then, admitted he’s working daily to reach this goal. He declared,

It’s fair to say that Team USA could benefit from a player with his skillset. At the same time, this gives Gordon a golden opportunity to showcase his talent on the global stage, especially on home soil.