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Steve Kerr Called Out by Former NBA Legend for 'Unfair' Treatment of Jayson Tatum in Paris Olympics
Jayson Tatum went into the Paris Olympics on the back of winning the NBA title, but his treatment by Steve Kerr was heavily criticized throughout the Olympics.
Even though the men's basketball team from Team USA returned home with a gold medal, there still appeared to be problems with their performance during the Olympics. Charles Barkley was the latest to weigh in on the ongoing discussion surrounding Jayson Tatum's decision to sit out two games during the tournament.
Barkley had criticized Team USA's strategy for the entirety of the competition, but he felt that Tatum ought to have played more in Paris, and he blasted head coach Steve Kerr for the choice.
Barkley said, “There’s no reason for him not to play Jayson Tatum. Tatum would have been the second-best player against Serbia and probably would have been the best player against France. So, for him not to get any minutes in two games… Come on, man, that wasn’t right, that wasn’t fair.
Barkley added, “If you’re going to the Olympics, you want to play, you want to play. So, I was disappointed Jayson didn’t get to play, I was disappointed Tyrese Haliburton didn’t get to play, especially early. If you want to shorten your rotation in the last couple of games, that’s fine, but the guys dedicated their summer to the United States.”
Tatum did not participate in either of the two games against Serbia, and Kerr had stated during the tournament that he would be playing guys because of specific player matchups. Barkley believes that regardless of the outcome of the match, the players ought to have played because they committed their time to travel to Paris.
Some have questioned whether Jayson Tatum will still be playing in 2028 after missing several games during the Olympics and seeing his minutes cut. Bill Simmons was among the first to raise the possibility that Tatum might not commit.
“I have no inside information at all; I'm just saying that when you're making hard choices like this, I think there's going to be ramifications down the line, would be my guess,” Bill Simmons said on his podcast.
Tatum stated that he won't base his decision on how his experience this year went because he knows that a lot can happen between now and 2028. With LeBron James and Kevin Durant unlikely to return, Tatum will probably start and play a lot on the court in 2028. However, that’s a discussion for some other day, as Tatum’s instant focus will be to get ready for the NBA season and defend the title with the Boston Celtics.
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