Jayson Tatum has been catching flak in all directions following his dud in the Boston Celtics’ season-ending loss.
One avenue Tatum probably wasn’t expecting shade to come from was ABC’s coverage of the Stanley Cup Final, but that became a reality Monday night.
The Celtics superstar caught a ricochet shot from Charles Barkley during the first intermission of Game 3 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche at Amalie Arena. Barkley, who isn’t exactly a bastion of hockey knowledge, was tasked with breaking down a first-period sequence that included an Avs giveaway and he couldn’t resist plucking the low-hanging fruit.
“Well, this is a turnover, No. 1. This is a regular, old Jayson Tatum turnover,” Barkley said. “I’m sorry. I’m just joking.”
Turnovers certainly were aplenty for Tatum in the spring. The three-time All-Star made NBA history by becoming the first player to ever record 100-plus turnovers in a single postseason run.
Of course, the Celtics wouldn’t have come within two wins of a championship without Tatum playing at an All-NBA level for the majority of the 2021-22 season. And although he wasn’t at his best when Boston’s back was against the wall, the 24-year-old arguably should be the biggest source of optimism for the Celtics returning to basketball’s biggest stage.
