Charles Barkley roasts Celtics' Jayson Tatum on Stanley Cup Final telecast, gloats about relationship with Gary Bettman

Zac Al-Khateeb

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Charles Barkley roasts Celtics' Jayson Tatum on Stanley Cup Final telecast, gloats about relationship with Gary Bettman image

Charles Barkley on Monday once again proved he is must-see TV, even (especially) when he's appearing on non-basketball broadcasts.

The TNT basketball analyst made an appearance on ABC as it broadcast Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, a 6-2 victory by the Lightning to shorten the Avalanche's series lead 2-1. Barkley, a noted hockey fan, was funny and engaging on the broadcast, as usual.

Oh, and Sir Charles had jokes — especially at the expense of Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.

MORE: Charles Barkley's best moments on The Match 2022

During the first intermission on Game 3, Barkley was given the opportunity to break down the Lightning's go-ahead goal, which made the score 2-1. Barkley wasted no time in noting how Lightning left wing Ondrej Polet's goal was the result of a turnover from Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews.

"Well this is a turnover, No. 1," Barkley said. "This is a regular Jayson Tatum turnover. I'm sorry, I'm just joking. ... I love you Jayson Tatum, I'm just joking."

Tatum, whose Celtics are still feeling the sting of a 4-2 NBA Finals defeat to the Warriors, had the unfortunate distinction of becoming the first player to commit 100 turnovers in a single NBA postseason.

MORE: Top 5 funny moments from Charles Barkley on TNT's ‘Inside The NBA’

Barkley's appearance on the ABC telecast also included a story of how he scored tickets from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman ...

Complimenting Kyle Bukauskas' hair ...

And singing the praises of Lightning coach Jon Cooper ...

Again: Barkley is pure TV entertainment, regardless of sport.

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.