Jayson Tatum vs. Steve Kerr: Drama Brews Ahead of Celtics-Warriors Showdown
When the Golden State Warriors head to Boston's TD Garden to face the Celtics, all eyes won’t just be on the players—Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will also take center stage. Normally, fans in Boston reserve their loudest boos for Draymond Green. But this time, Kerr finds himself in the crosshairs of Celtics fans, largely due to his handling of Jayson Tatum during the 2024 Paris Olympics as head coach of Team USA. Kerr’s decisions to bench Tatum multiple times in crucial games caused a stir, and many fans and players found it a puzzling move given Tatum’s impressive record and recent NBA championship.
The controversy began early in the Olympics. Tatum, one of the NBA’s rising stars and a key figure in Boston’s title-winning team, had a surprising lack of playing time under Kerr's watch. Tatum’s court time was limited throughout the tournament, and he didn’t see a single minute in Team USA's matches against Serbia. Kerr explained his rotation choices as a “math problem,” stating it was challenging to balance the rotation in a 40-minute international game. Yet this reasoning left Tatum and his supporters bewildered, especially when Kerr opted for a fuller rotation with his Warriors in their NBA season opener. Kerr’s decisions and his comments appeared to suggest he didn’t think Tatum fit well with Team USA's rotations, igniting frustration from Celtics fans and stirring motivation in Tatum himself.
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In Boston, the choice to sideline Tatum wasn’t seen as mere strategy but as a slight against one of the league’s premier players. Even Celtics legend Bob Cousy expressed dismay, saying the benching was “an embarrassment” and calling out Kerr’s decision as disrespectful. For Tatum, a proud competitor who has always had a prominent role on every team he’s played with, the Olympics presented a rare and humbling experience. While Tatum handled it with grace publicly, he acknowledged it was a “challenging” experience that pushed him to reflect deeply on his role and contributions.
This Olympic snub has fueled Tatum’s current NBA season. He’s off to a hot start, averaging over 30 points per game, and is showing every sign of being more determined than ever. His performance reflects a drive that perhaps stems from wanting to prove he deserves every minute on the court—a message clearly directed at Kerr and anyone who doubts his impact.
With Kerr’s return to TD Garden, Celtics fans are eager to express their displeasure. Kerr himself has acknowledged that he expects a less-than-warm welcome, but he’s taken it in stride, even joking that he
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