Charles Barkley opened up on how the 2024 NBA Championship-winning duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were treated this summer by fans and media, with Brown being snubbed from Team USA and Tatum getting DNPs while representing the USA at Paris 2024. Barkley told Bill Simmons on the ‘Bill Simmons Show’ that the NBA has never pissed two players off as much as they did Brown and Tatum this summer.
“The NBA found a way to piss both of them off this summer, how about that. Only the NBA can do that, let’s piss off two of the Top 10 players in the NBA after they’re coming off a championship. Maybe Isiah Thomas was treated unfairly on the Dream Team, but I can’t think of any other scenario where the NBA pissed off two players more than they did this summer with Jayson and Jaylen, I really believe that sincerely.”
Barkley was frustrated at how players like Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton were treated like afterthoughts even though they’re All-NBA players who gave up their summer to represent the national team.
“There’s no reason shouldn’t have been playing or Haliburton. They gave up their summer to represent their country. There’s not going to be a tremendous drop-off like you know what maybe I should put Jayson Tatum in the game. You’re not putting a second-string guy in there.”
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Barkley’s overall sentiment about these two players being treated badly is fair, but I don’t see how the NBA is to blame for that. Grant Hill made it clear that not selecting Brown was a decision made by the national team, while Steve Kerr as the coach of the USA chose not to give Tatum major minutes.
These are all NBA figures, but it seems Team USA are the ones who have pissed the pair off. This should lead to a revenge season for both players who are still fighting to be respected as top players in the NBA despite bringing home a title last season in convincing fashion.
Jayson Tatum Was Not In Rhythm During Paris 2024
The decision to bench Tatum has been debated by fans and analysts since the opening game of the Olympics. While a player of his stature should have a bigger role, Tatum was also not playing good basketball at the time. He’s aware of it as well, claiming he was not in rhythm during the Olympics and struggled mightily because of it.
“I wasn’t moping around. I didn’t have an attitude. I wasn’t angry at the world. I stayed ready and did what was asked of me and I won a gold medal, right? I know I didn’t make a jump shot when I was with Team USA. I don’t know, law of averages. It’s a weird rhythm thing being with Team USA; you never exactly know when you’re gonna get the ball. But that’s part of it. You sign up for that because I’ve done it before (at the Tokyo Games).”
Tatum averaged 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steals at Paris 2024 on limited minutes, receiving two DNPs as well. Steve Kerr was criticized by almost everyone for the decision to bench Tatum. All everyone should care about is that the USA went undefeated over five exhibitions and six Olympic matchups and won a Gold medal.
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