Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum had a dispute during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kerr coached the Team USA men’s basketball team, and Tatum was one of its players.
Despite Tatum being the 2023-24 NBA Champion, Kerr decided to bench him for multiple games, which sparked controversy within the NBA community. Analysts, players, and fans criticized Kerr for his controversial decision. Recently, Kerr addressed the incident in an interview, during which he praised how maturely Tatum handled the surrounding controversy related to the Olympics.
“We texted after the game in Boston a couple of months ago and we talked last night after the game. I will tell you that Jayson was an absolute dream to coach. During all that stuff, that so called controversy, you might notice there wasn’t a single quote from Jayson. It was everybody else talking about it. Jayson is an amazing guy and an incredible player and he couldn’t have handled it any better when he was there.” Kerr said.
Steve Kerr on the Jayson Tatum/Olympics controversy:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 22, 2025
“We texted after the game in Boston a couple of months ago and we talked last night after the game. I will tell you that Jayson was an absolute dream to coach. During all that stuff, that so called controversy, you might… pic.twitter.com/XclnttICEX
The Warriors recently played the Celtics at the Chase Center, resulting in one of the most disappointing defeats of the 2024-25 NBA regular season. The Celtics won the game decisively, with a final score of 125-85, marking a 40-point lead.
Fans Rebuke Steve Kerr After His Take On Jayson Tatum
During the interview, Kerr praised Tatum for his impressive handling of the criticism and controversy surrounding the decision. However, this endorsement did not sit well with many fans.
When Legion Hoops shared a clip of Kerr’s remarks on X (formerly Twitter), a wave of discontent arose, with fans criticizing his choices made during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Notably, several fans asserted that Boston would never overlook Kerr’s past decisions.
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Some supporters praised Tatum for adeptly navigating the criticism, while others voiced their exasperation with Kerr for persistently revisiting the Olympics controversy, declaring their fatigue over his continual references to the incident.
Sorry Kerr, Boston will never forgive you. pic.twitter.com/fc9khxcxcy
— BOS in DC ☘️ (@bostonianindc) January 22, 2025
Steve, he does not fuck with you. No one wants to be good at not playing brother, You losing by 40 once a year for the rest of ur career
— Nando 🍀 (@nando17celtics) January 22, 2025
Jayson Tatum is the best
— FanAlert (@FanAlert0) January 22, 2025
He handles criticism so well!
Kerr is way overrated
— Steve (@SZ_Investing) January 22, 2025
Lmaooo Kerr trying to play nice guy now… There was no reason to not give him any minutes in the Olympics.. he's a top 5 player in the league.
— Jeff Tweets (@jefffstweets) January 22, 2025
Come out from controversy..
— prabhash kr. (@Jald_BaaziNahi_) January 22, 2025
completely cap lil boy was crying
— i like basketball (@kdfan__) January 22, 2025
I’m tired of hearing about this
— Teekii (@Queenies1st) January 22, 2025
After the recent loss to the Celtics, the Warriors currently sit in the 11th spot in the Western Conference standings with a 21-21 record. Meanwhile, the Celtics hold the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings with a 30-13 record.
Also Read: Steve Kerr Sounds Off On Golden State Warriors’ Current State Amid Subpar NBA Season So Far
