"I don't agree with how they went about it" - Carmelo Anthony takes issue with Jayson Tatum's bench role on Team USA in Olympics
Basketball legend Carmelo Anthony shared his honest opinion on Jayson Tatum's lack of playing time with Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Anthony, who won three Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal, was in Paris and attended the Team USA games at the quadrennial competition.
The former New York Knicks superstar reflected on how Tatum was treated by US coach Steve Kerr and asserted that the Boston Celtics forward was pissed about not playing enough minutes.
"This is the side of basketball I love to talk about, he got one of the greatest resumes in the last 5 years," Carmelo said on his podcast '7PM in Brooklyn'.
"What he went through I want everybody to see that, the whole world knew he was pissed but he was resilient," he added.
Jayson Tatum received two DNPs during the Olympic Games, with Coach Kerr explaining that the 26-year-old's limited playing time was due to a "math problem." The Golden State Warriors coach acknowledged that Kevin Durant's return directly affected Tatum's minutes, as the reigning NBA champion didn't fit into the team's rotation.
In addition to receiving two DNPs, Tatum came off the bench in the games he did play.
Carmelo criticized Kerr for mishandling the situation and failing to communicate with Tatum.
"I don't agree with how they went about it," Carmelo continued.
"When you look at time in a game, you got 40 minutes in the game, ain't 48, you know you're five. I'm cool with you saying, 'he's not gonna play', just be honest, this is where we have a lack of communication because we've been in Vegas this whole time.
"Talk to me, you already know where you see me at on this depth chart. Talk to me in private, let me get myself together, mentally and emotionally." He added.
Jayson Tatum on his Olympic experience
Jayson Tatum missed the two games against Serbia, first in the group stage and later in the semifinal, as coach Kerr decided to keep the young superstar on the bench. Overall, Tatum played four out of the six games for Team USA en route winning his second Olympic gold medal.
After the tournament concluded, Tatum opened up about his roller-coaster ride at the Paris Summer Games. However, he says the Paris experience won't impact his decision to play in LA 2028.
"It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I'm not going to make any decision off emotions," Tatum said. "If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028 -- it is four years from now and I [would have] to take time and think about that. So I'm not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually," Tatum said per ESPN.
Jayson Tatum averaged 17.7 minutes with Team USA, contributing 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and one steal per game.