The Boston Celtics suffered a tough 118-112 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night at TD Garden. However, this game was more than just a regular-season matchup, as it marked the first time Jayson Tatum met his Team USA coach, Steve Kerr, since their time together at the Paris Olympics 2024.
During the Olympics, Kerr’s decision to bench Tatum drew considerable backlash. Not only did Kerr bench Tatum in the opening game against Serbia, but he made the same call in the semifinal rematch against the Serbians.
After the first benching, Kerr admitted it was a “dumb decision.” But on Wednesday, he made it clear he had no regrets about his choices during the Olympics, which sparked loud boos from the Celtics fans at TD Garden.
“We’re just committed to winning, and we won the gold medal. So I didn’t give it a whole lot of thought, other than I didn’t enjoy not playing Jayson against Serbia not playing Joel against South Sudan. Those are not fun decisions, but our guys were all amazing,” Kerr said.
“They committed to each other; they committed to winning the gold medal. They brought the gold home for their country. That’s the real story,” he added.
Cedric Maxwell Defends Steve Kerr’s Olympic Decisions Amid Jayson Tatum Benching Backlash
Jayson Tatum’s benching during the Olympics sparked frustration from fans and even Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, but not everyone felt the decision was unfair. Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell defended Team USA coach Steve Kerr, sharing that Kerr’s responsibility was to secure the gold medal, not cater to individual players.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
“Steve Kerr’s job is to win an Olympic gold medal, not make friends, and he did his job. Jayson Tatum wasn’t playing well, and I don’t think [Kerr] deserved all that criticism,” Maxwell said.
Meanwhile, Tatum seems to have moved on from the Olympic benching. His focus now is on giving his all to the Celtics, and his recent performance against the Warriors proved just that. Tatum led the game with 32 points, along with 4 rebounds and 2 assists, although the team ultimately fell to a 118-112 loss, putting their season record at 7-2.
