Jayson Tatum-Steve Kerr backstory adds drama to Celtics-Warriors – NBC Sports Boston

Whenever the Golden State Warriors come to TD Garden, the loudest boos are usually reserved for instigator Draymond Green.

But there is a new Public Enemy no. 1 in Boston on Wednesday, and he won’t be in uniform.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr got on the bad side of Celtics fans this summer for his (mis)management of Jayson Tatum at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As head coach of Team USA, Kerr stunningly left Tatum on the fringes of his 10- man rotation and played the recent NBA champion a total of 71 minutes — the lightest workload of any player on the roster outside of Tyrese Haliburton — outright benching Tatum for both of the team’s matchups against Serbia.

So why did Kerr limit Tatum’s minutes in Paris? How did Tatum feel about it and how did his Celtics teammates and head coach react? Here’s a refresher on everything that’s happened since the summer and a reminder why the C’s should have extra motivation heading into Wednesday’s matchup with Kerr’s Warriors (7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston).

Kerr benches Tatum twice during the Olympic Games

The controversy all started in Team USA’s very first game against Serbia, where Tatum didn’t leave the bench in a blowout win.

“I felt like an idiot not playing him, but you know, 40-minute game, you can’t play more than 10 (players),” Kerr said after the game.

Tatum started the next game against South Sudan, but played only 17 minutes and scored just four points. He dropped a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) in 23 minutes against Puerto Rico in the following game, but added just four points in 20 minutes in the quarterfinals against Brazil before picking up another DNP in the semifinals against Serbia.

Kerr offers a puzzling explanation for Tatum’s lack of playing time

After Team USA’s narrow semifinal win over Serbia, Kerr chalked up Tatum not playing to a “math problem.”

“It’s not what I don’t see from Jayson; it’s what I’ve seen from the other guys,” Kerr said. “As I’ve said many times during this tournament and the last six weeks, it’s just tough to play against 11 people, even in an NBA game.

“So it’s not about what Jayson does or doesn’t do. It’s just about combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin (Durant) has filled in since coming back from his injury.”

Kerr’s strategy worked, but just barely: Team USA trailed Serbia by as many as 17 points before rallying to win by four, then needed a barrage of Stephen Curry 3-pointers to outlast France in the gold medal game , in which Tatum scored just two points over 11 minutes.

(For what it’s worth, Kerr had no trouble solving the “math problem” with his Warriors: Kerr deployed a 12-man rotation in Golden State’s first game of the 2024-25 season.)

Jayson Tatum didn’t play a single minute in Team USA’s win over Serbia on Thursday. Chris Forsberg and Tom Giles give their reaction to the Early Edition decision.

Bob Cousy sounds off on Kerr

Many current players, former players and members of the media came to Tatum’s defense after his surprising lack of playing time. But Celtics legend Bob Cousy offered one of the more memorable criticisms of Kerr shortly after Tatum’s second DNP against Serbia in the semis.

“This is not just a snub. This is an embarrassment to the poor kid all over the world,” Cousy told The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy.

“… Tatum is on the cover of Sports Illustrated this month. Every pundit I’ve read lately has him in the top five, and sometimes No. 1 in the (expletive) world. Now telling Kerr the world that he doesn’t agree with a 40-minute game if you can’t find five minutes to play someone in the team without hurting yourself…

“Not playing Tatum at all says to the world, ‘Not only is he not top five, he’s not good enough to get into a close game.’ I can’t figure out Kerr’s mindset and he’s done it twice , so he obviously feels strongly about it. He must think Tatum is an injury, and I don’t see how he can feel that way and know anything about basketball.

Tatum reflects on ‘tough personal experience’

The Celtics star did his best to take the high road, but clearly did not enjoy having a limited role in Paris.

“You feel like you deserve to play and the competitor in you wants to play,” Tatum said after the gold medal game. “And (Steve Kerr) is the coach for a reason. He makes those decisions.

“It was a tough personal experience on the field, but I’m not going to make any decisions based on emotion… I try to say all the time, I’m not trying to make it about me. I know that’s the story. last few days but we won a gold medal and that was most important.

Tatum later called the experience “challenging” and “humbling” and admitted he heard much of the noise surrounding his lack of playing time.

“It was a lot. In the age of social media, you see everything,” Tatum said. “You see all the tweets and people on podcasts and people on TV giving their opinion on whether they thought it was a good decision or it was an outrageous decision or whatever.

“Obviously I wanted to contribute more and I’ve never been in (this) situation. I started playing basketball at (age) 3 at the YMCA and I’ve never not played so it was different and it was challenging.”

Jayson Tatum is considering whether he would participate in the 2028 Olympics.

Mazzulla has on-brand response to Tatum’s benching

Leave it to Joe Mazzulla to get excited about Tatum’s adversity.

Tatum told reporters at Media Day that his head coach was “probably the happiest person” after watching Tatum play sparingly at the Olympics. “If you know Joe, it makes sense,” Tatum added.

Mazzulla later explained that he saw Tatum’s Olympic experience as a “gift” because it would represent a new challenge for the Celtics star after helping Boston win a championship.

“I thought it was great that he has something he wants to work towards. And sometimes when you’re successful, you don’t have the next hunger right in front of you.

“Sometimes you have to wait for it. Sometimes it’s a loss, sometimes it’s a losing streak, and he was able to get it right in front of him. So I just thought it was a gift. It doesn’t mean, that he should” Not getting mad about it, I didn’t want to take away from how it might affect him in real time because I wasn’t there, but as his coach and as someone who really cares about him, I thought , that was great it gives him something to work towards against.”

Kerr sarcastically sets expectations for the C’s-Warriors in Boston

Kerr is apparently well aware that he will become Public Enemy no. 1 Wednesday evening. When asked how fans at TD Garden would greet him in Golden State’s only game in Boston this season, the Warriors head coach offered a heavy dose of sarcasm.

“I’m excited. I think the fans are going to really cheer me on,” Kerr said Tuesday. “Because you know what I did last summer? I played Jrue Holiday and Derrick White a lot, and considering both guys are Celtics and the fact that Tatum played a big part in things as well — all three guys, important factors and we won the gold medal.

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