2x NBA champion playfully applauds Steve Kerr getting 'booed' by Celtics fans for handling of Jayson Tatum in Olympics
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was booed by Boston Celtics fans on Wednesday at the TD Garden. Two-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday joked about enjoying it despite playing under Kerr for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Celtics fans are still seemingly not happy with Kerr after the way he handled Jayson Tatum's minutes in France.
Speaking to "Run It Back" on FanDuel TV, Holiday was asked about Wednesday's game against the Warriors. He said:
"For the whole Jayson-Steve Kerr thing, you gotta talk to them about that," Holiday said. "The fans didn't like it (Kerr benching Tatum). They booed the hell out bro. I like Steve, but that was amazing."
Wednesday's game was hyped as Jayson Tatum's revenge game on Steve Kerr for what happened in the Olympics. However, the Golden State Warriors spoiled the night by beating the Boston Celtics 118-112. Steph Curry led the way for Golden State with 27 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
Buddy Hield was huge off the bench and in the clutch, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds. Andrew Wiggins also had 16 points and defended Tatum for the majority of the contest. The Celtics superstar had 32 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Boston was missing two key players in Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis due to injuries. Nevertheless, the Celtics were in control to start the game before the Warriors started chipping away the lead at the end of the first quarter.
Golden State built a 11-point lead at the half, but Tatum willed the Celtics to make it a competitive game in the third quarter. It was a back-and-forth fourth period with the Warriors pulling off the upset to improve to 7-1 for the season, while Boston dropped to 7-2.
Boston Celtics legend defends Steve Kerr's decision to bench Jayson Tatum
Steve Kerr was not a popular figure in Boston when Jayson Tatum was not given a lot of minutes at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was evident in Wednesday's game that Celtics fans didn't appreciate what Kerr did to Tatum.
However, the Golden State Warriors coach was defended by Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell. The guest analyst 95.7 The Game radio station's coverage of the game said on Wednesday:
"Steve Kerr's job is to win an Olympic gold medal, not make friends, and he did his job," Maxwell said, according to the Basketball Network. "Jayson Tatum wasn't playing well, and I don't think Kerr deserved all that."
The Warriors and Celtics are not scheduled to face each other anymore at the TD Garden this season. They are set to clash at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Jan. 20, 2025.