Kerr jokes how Celtics fans upset with Tatum will embrace him

Kerr jokes about how Celtics fans upset with Tatum will embrace him. Originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr knows exactly how Boston Celtics fans will greet him at TD Garden on Wednesday night. Or is it?

The Warriors coach responded with a perfect wink on Tuesday when asked how warmly he would be received by Celtics fans, who turned their ire on Kerr this summer when he defeated Boston forward Jayson Tatum in the 2024 Olympics Paris was put on the substitutes' bench.

“I'm excited. I think the fans are really going to be rooting for me,” Kerr said in a response dripping with sarcasm on KNBR’s “Tolbert & Copes.” “Because you know what I did last summer — I played against Jrue Holiday and Derrick White a lot, and given the fact that both guys are Celtics and the fact that Tatum played a big role in the process as well all three guys were important factors and we won the gold medal.

“This is America. It's the day after Election Day. I think Celtics fans will welcome me with open arms and maybe even bouquets of roses. … Heartfelt.”

Tatum received two DNP-CDs during the Olympics (did not play due to coach's decision) and sometimes played sparingly in games. Boston fans were unhappy with Tatum's role in Kerr's rotations, even though the Celtics star took the wrong approach when asked about his role.

However, Kerr's decisions worked in Team USA's favor as they beat France and took home gold – but he understands why it was so hard for fans to see a player of Tatum's caliber sitting on the bench.

“I spoke to 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 everyone in here is going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at some point. So how do we figure out how to play, how to put (lineup) combinations together, and I said, “I'm going to ask all of you to just win and put everything else aside, all the usual NBA nonsense.” .'

“The boys all handled it really well, other players supported Jayson and Joel (Embiid) really well, but these are guys who are world-class players and nobody is used to seeing them play so few minutes. “So it is just a strange spectacle, I understand.”

Many Celtics and NBA fans 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 may be rooting for Kerr themselves on Wednesday, the Warriors coach is probably more concerned with making sure Tatum doesn't start against Golden State.

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