The number of people upset with Steve Kerr for not using a lot of Jayson Tatum in the 2024 Paris Olympics only grows.
Now Charles Barkley is one of the many airing his displeasure with Kerr’s choices.
Speaking on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” Barkley spoke at length about how he disagrees with Kerr.
“There’s no reason for him not to play Jayson Tatum. Tatum would have been the second-best player on Serbia, probably would have been the best player on France. So for him not to get any minutes in two games … come on man, that wasn’t right, that wasn’t fair,” Barkley said, via NBACentral.
He added that it’s okay for coaches to “shorten” the rotation as the tournament goes on, but Tatum should have played more because he dedicated his summer to the United States.
Charles Barkley calls out Steve Kerr for not giving more minutes to Jayson Tatum and says Tatum would’ve been the best player on France’s team
“There’s no reason for him not to play Jayson Tatum. Tatum would have been the second-best player on Serbia, probably would have been… pic.twitter.com/7ThaTmS6z9
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 15, 2024
Tatum didn’t play much at all during the Olympics and completely sat out two games.
If this were a different player, it probably wouldn’t have been as big a deal.
But Tatum just had the best season of his career and his Boston Celtics recently won the NBA championship.
His star has never been brighter and his talent has never been more evident.
So, why didn’t Kerr use him more often?
The coach defended his choice, saying that it was a “math” problem and that the plethora of great talent made it hard for everyone to get equal time during games.
But some people don’t feel that excuse holds water and think Kerr had it out for Tatum and held some sort of grudge.
Tatum may get the last laugh in the months ahead if his Celtics remain favorites to reach the NBA Finals in the new season.
The post Charles Barkley Calls Out Steve Kerr For 1 Big Decision appeared first on The Cold Wire.