The Big Lead

Steve Kerr jokes about his Celtics fans 'welcome' after Jayson Tatum controversy

By Joe Lago

Oct 30, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr encourages the team against the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Oct 30, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr encourages the team against the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images
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The biggest rivalry in the NBA takes center stage at TD Garden in Boston on Wednesday.

Lakers vs. Celtics? No, Steve Kerr vs. Jayson Tatum.

RELATED: Steve Kerr benches another young star, this time with the Warriors

Kerr's Golden State Warriors, off to a surprising 6-1 start, continue their five-game road trip with their toughest test yet against Boston. The most eager Celtics player figures to be Tatum, the first-team All-NBA selection who was relegated to the Team USA bench by Kerr at the Paris Olympics last summer.

The fallout of Kerr's "math problem" over rotation minutes and Tatum's benching angered Celtics Nation. It also seems to have inspired a revenge tour by Tatum, who, if you believe the narrative, is taking out his Olympics frustration (despite winning a gold medal) on the league.

Wednesday will be the first encounter between Kerr and Tatum since the Summer Games. When asked what type of reception he will receive from the Boston crowd, Kerr was his typical sarcastic self while appearing on KNBR's "Tolbert & Copes" on Tuesday.

"I'm excited," Kerr told KNBR's Tom Tolbert and Adam Copeland. " I think the fans are really going to cheer for me.

"Because you know what I did this past summer — I played Jrue Holiday and Derek 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 (being) 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, maybe even like with bouquets."

All joking aside, the rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals should be fascinating for an early season game.

Tatum is posting career bests with 48.1% shooting from the field and 4.1 3-pointers per game. He's also averaging 30.0 points per game, fourth-best in the NBA, for the defending champion Celtics (7-1).

Also, the matchup pits Boston's top-ranked offense (121.8 offensive rating) against the Warriors' No. 2-ranked defense (102.1 defensive rating), and Steph Curry, who returned from an ankle sprain in Monday's 125-112 win against the Washington Wizards, is expected to play without any minutes restrictions.

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