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Kerr jokes how Celtics fans, disgruntled over Tatum, will greet him originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steve Kerr knows exactly how Boston Celtics fans will greet him Wednesday night at TD Garden. Or, does he?
The Warriors coach offered a perfect tongue-in-cheek response Tuesday when asked how warm of a reception he expects from Celtics fans, who directed their ire at Kerr this summer when he benched Boston forward Jayson Tatum in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I’m excited. I think the fans are really going to cheer for me,” Kerr told KNBR’s “Tolbert & Copes” in a reply dripping with sarcasm. “Because you know what I did this past summer — I played Jrue Holiday and Derrick White a ton, and given that both guys are Celtics and the fact that Tatum also played a huge role in the proceedings, all three guys, major factors, and we won the gold medal.
“This is America. It’s the day after Election Day. I think Celtics fans are going to welcome me with open arms, and maybe even bouquets of roses. … Heartfelt.”
Tatum received two DNP-CDs (did not play due to coach’s decision) throughout the Olympics, and sometimes played sparingly in games. Boston fans were displeased with Tatum’s role in Kerr’s rotations, even though the Celtics star took the high road when asked about his role.
Kerr’s decisions worked in Team USA’s favor, however, as they defeated France to take home the gold — but he understands why it was so hard for fans to see a player of Tatum’s caliber ride the bench.
“I addressed the team before the first practice, and we talked about it,” Kerr previously told “Tolbert & Copes” in an August interview. “The elephant in the room is that every guy in here is going to go into the Hall of Fame eventually. So, how do we figure out how to play, how to put together [lineup] combinations and I said, ‘I’m going to ask all of you to commit to just winning and to set everything else aside, all the usual NBA BS.’
“The guys all handled it really well, other players were really good about supporting Jayson and Joel [Embiid], but these are guys who are world-class players, and nobody is used to seeing them play so few minutes. So, it’s just a weird spectacle, I get it.”
Many Celtics and NBA fans alike joked online that Kerr had created a monster after Tatum torched the New York Knicks on opening night of the 2024-25 season.
And while Boston fans might do their own torching of Kerr on Wednesday, the Warriors coach likely is more concerned with making sure Tatum doesn’t go off on Golden State.