The Tatum-Kerr drama explained ahead of Celtics-Warriors showdown originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Whenever the Golden State Warriors come to TD Garden, the loudest boos are usually reserved for instigator Draymond Green.
But there will be a new Public Enemy No. 1 in Boston on Wednesday, and he won’t be wearing a uniform.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr fell foul of Celtics fans this summer for his (mis)management of Jayson Tatum at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As head coach of Team USA, Kerr surprisingly left Tatum on the fringes of his 10-man rotation, playing the recent NBA champion a total of 71 minutes — the lightest workload of any player on the roster outside of Tyrese Haliburton — and promptly benching Tatum for both sides of the team against Serbia.
So, why did Kerr limit Tatum’s minutes in Paris? How did Tatum feel about that, and how did his teammates and Celtics head coach react? Here’s a refresher on everything that’s happened since the summer, and a reminder of why the C’s should have extra motivation for Wednesday’s matchup with Kerr’s Warriors (7:30 pm ET on NBC Sports Boston).
Kerr seats Tatum twice during Olympic play
The controversy began in Team USA’s first-ever 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, a 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 only played 17 minutes, scoring only four points. He dropped a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) in 23 minutes against Puerto Rico in the next game, but added just four points in 20 minutes in the quarter final against Brazil before getting another DNP in the semifinals against Serbia.
Kerr gives a puzzling explanation for Tatum’s lack of playing time
After Team USA’s narrow semifinal victory over Serbia, Kerr chalked up Tatum not playing to a “math problem.”
“It’s not what I’m not seeing from Jayson; it’s what I’ve seen from the other guys,” Kerr said. “As I’ve said many times throughout this tournament and the last six weeks, it’s just hard to play 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 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.
(For what it’s worth, Kerr had no problem solving that “math problem” with his Warriors: Kerr deployed a 12-man rotation in Golden State’s first game of the 2024-25 season. )
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 Kerr’s more memorable critiques shortly after Tatum’s second DNP against Serbia in the semifinals.
“This is not just a snub. This is an embarrassment to that poor child all over the (expletive) world,” Cousy told Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe.
“… Tatum is on the cover of Sports Illustrated this month. All the experts I’ve read lately have him in the top five, and sometimes No. 1 in the (distrustful) world. Now Kerr is telling the world. he doesn’t agree In a 40-minute game, if you can’t find five minutes to play someone in the team without hurting yourself…”
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 difficult personal experience on the court, but I will not make any decisions from emotions … I keep trying to say, I try not to make it about me. I know that is the plot the last few days, but we won We won a gold medal, and that was most important.”
Tatum later called the experience “challenging” and “humbling” and admitted he’s heard a lot of the noise about 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 the 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.”
Mazzulla has an on-brand response to Tatum’s benching
Leave it to Joe Mazzulla to be thrilled by Tatum’s misfortune.
Tatum told reporters at Media Day that his head coach “was probably the happiest person” after Tatum played sparingly at the Olympics. “If you know Joe, it makes sense,” Tatum added.
Mazzulla later clarified this he viewed 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 had something that he was going to work for. And sometimes when you’re successful, you don’t have that next hunger right in front of you.
“Sometimes you have to wait for it. Sometimes it’s a loss, sometimes it’s a defeat, and he was able to achieve that right in front of him. So I just thought it was a gift. It doesn’t mean he should” I shouldn’t be upset about it, I didn’t want to take away how that 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 it was great it gives him something to work towards.”
Kerr sarcastically sets expectations for C’s-Warriors in Boston
Kerr is apparently well aware that he will be Public Enemy No. 1 on Wednesday night. When asked how fans at TD Garden would greet him in Golden State’s only contest in Boston this season, the Warriors’ head coach leaned into sarcasm.
“I’m excited. I think the fans are going to be really happy for me,” Kerr said Tuesday. “Because you know what I did this past summer? I played Jrue Holiday and Derrick White a lot, and because both guys are Celtics and the fact that Tatum played a huge role in the process 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 Celtics fans will welcome me with open arms, and maybe even like bouquets of roses … Heartily.”
