Celtics’ Roster Teardown Wasn’t About the Second Apron: Charles Barkley [Exclusive]

Charles Barkley, generally accepted by Boston Celtics fans since his retirement, faces potential backlash for supporting the NBA's restrictive second apron rule. He argues that the rule was implemented to prevent star players from forming "fantasy teams," which he views as unfair to the league's competitive balance. Barkley dismisses the idea that the second apron caused the Celtics' recent roster changes, instead attributing them to the team's realization that they couldn't win a championship without an injured Jayson Tatum.

Barkley contends that the Celtics' decision to trade Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, and let Al Horford and Luke Kornet leave, was a strategic move due to Tatum's Achilles tendon injury and his expected lengthy recovery. He believes that even if Tatum returns ahead of schedule, history shows players aren't the same in their first year back, and factors like Holiday's aging and Porzingis' injury history further justify breaking up the team early. Barkley suggests that without Tatum's injury, the Celtics might have won the championship or given the core another chance, but injuries to key players like Porzingis, whom he calls the team's "superpower," were decisive in their playoff exit.