Kerr jokes about how Celtics fans, unhappy with Tatum, will greet him originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steve Kerr knows exactly how Boston Celtics fans will greet him Wednesday evening at TD Garden. Or does he?
The Warriors coach offered a perfectly tongue-in-cheek response Tuesday when asked how much he expected a warm reception from Celtics fans, who directed their anger at Kerr this summer when he benched Boston forward Jayson Tatum at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“I’m excited. I think the fans are really going to be cheering for me,” Kerr told KNBR’s “Tolbert & Copes” in a sarcasm-filled response. “Because you know what I did last summer – I played a lot against Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, and given that both guys are Celtics and 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 the Celtics fans are going to welcome me with open arms, and maybe even bouquets of roses. … Sincerely.”
Tatum received two DNP-CDs (did not play due to coach’s decision) throughout the Olympics and played sparingly in games at times. Boston fans were unhappy with Tatum’s role in Kerr’s rotations, although the Celtics star took the high road when asked about his role.
Kerr’s decisions, however, worked in favor of the American team, which beat France to win the gold medal – but he understands why it was so difficult for fans to see a player of Tatum’s caliber ride the bench.
“I spoke to the team before the first practice and we talked about it,” Kerr told “Tolbert & Copes” in an interview in August. “The elephant in the room is that all the guys here are going to end up in the Hall of Fame. So how do we figure out how to play, how to put together (lineup) combinations and I said, “I’m going to ask you all to commit to just winning and put everything else aside, all the BS usual NBA rules. .’
“The guys all handled it really well, the other players supported Jayson and Joel (Embiid) really well, but these are guys who are world-class players, and no one is used to seeing them play so little of minutes. So it’s just a weird show, I understand.
Many Celtics and NBA fans have 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 torch Kerr themselves on Wednesday, the Warriors coach is probably more concerned with making sure Tatum doesn’t leave for Golden State.
