Carmelo Anthony Slams Steve Kerr's Handling of Jayson Tatum Benching at Olympics

With the star-studded roster of Team USA in the recently concluded Paris Olympics, some guys inevitably had to sacrifice their playing time.

One of them was Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. His bench role became the subject of much debate throughout their gold medal run. Speculations of fans ranged from tactical decisions to possible concerns over Tatum's fitness.

Ten-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony was more blunt with his opinion. In an episode of the "7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony & The Kid Mero" podcast, Melo said he didn't appreciate how Team USA coach Steve Kerr treated Tatum.

“I don’t agree with how they went about it,” the three-time Olympic gold medalist said. "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."

Anthony stressed that the matter could've been handled better with more communication, especially since Kerr and Tatum spent a lot of time together dating back to their training camp in Las Vegas.

"Talk to me, you already know where you see me on this depth chart," added the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets legend. "Talk to me in private, let me get myself together, mentally and emotionally."

Tatum, who just won a championship with the Celtics before the Olympics, had two DNPs, including the semifinal match against Serbia, and played sparse minutes when he was inserted by Kerr.

Kerr, who's led the Golden State Warriors to four titles, admitted the challenges of finding minutes for some of his guys, while Tatum said he maintained professionalism throughout their campaign.

The Celtics forward now has two Olympic gold medals after winning his first at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he averaged 20.5 minutes and 15.2 points per game.

Related: ESPN Host Faces Backlash From Former NBA All-Star Over Team USA Comments