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 got on the bad side of Celtics fans this summer due to his (mis)management of Jayson Tatum at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As head coach of Team USA, Kerr bafflingly left Tatum on the fringe 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 outright benching Tatum for both of the team’s matchups vs. 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 all that’s transpired since the summer, and a reminder of 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 Olympic play
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 only played 17 minutes, tallying 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 getting another DNP in the semifinals versus Serbia.
Kerr gives 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’m not seeing from Jayson; it’s what I’ve seen from the other guys,” Kerr said. “Like I’ve said many times during 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 is doing or not doing. It’s just about combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin (Durant) has filled in since he came 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 survive France in the gold medal game, where Tatum scored just two points over 11 minutes.
(For what it’s worth, Kerr had no issue 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 the more memorable critiques of Kerr shortly after Tatum’s second DNP against Serbia in the semfinals.
“This isn’t just a snub. This is an embarrassment for that poor kid all over the (expletive) world,” Cousy told The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy.
“… Tatum is on the cover of Sports Illustrated this month. Any experts that I’ve read lately have chosen him in the top five, and sometimes No. 1 in the (expletive) world. Now Kerr is telling the world that he doesn’t agree. In a 40-minute game, if you can’t find five minutes to play somebody on 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 thinking, and he’s done it twice, so he obviously feels strongly about it. He must think Tatum is a detriment, 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 didn’t 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 court, but I’m not going to make any decisions off emotions. … I keep trying to say, I’m trying not to make it about me. I know that’s the storyline 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 heard a lot 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 the 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 on-brand response to Tatum’s benching
Leave it to Joe Mazzulla to be thrilled by 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 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’s got something he’s gonna work towards. And sometimes when you get success, you don’t have that next hunger right in front of you.
“Sometimes you gotta wait for it. Sometimes it’s a loss, sometimes it’s a losing streak, and he was able to get that right in front of him. So I just thought it was a gift. It doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t be pissed off about it. I didn’t want to take away from how that may affect him in real time because I wasn’t there. But as his coach and as somebody that really cares about him, I thought it was great because it gives him something to work towards.”
Kerr sarcastically sets expectations for C’s-Warriors in Boston
Kerr apparently is well aware he’ll be Public Enemy No. 1 on Wednesday night. When asked about how fans at TD Garden would greet him in Golden State’s only matchup in Boston this season, the Warriors head coach offered a heaping portion of sarcasm.
“I’m excited. I think the fans are really going to cheer for me,” Kerr said Tuesday. “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 like bouquets of roses. … Heartfelt.”