Even though Team USA clinched the gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics, there was a storm of drama behind the scenes. The major sticking point was Jayson Tatum having his minutes slashed and being benched for two whole games. Despite not setting the court on fire when he did play, benching him was, in many eyes, harsh. This was particularly true for Celtics fans. So, when the Golden State Warriors face off against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in the upcoming NBA season, Steve Kerr might face a seriously chilly reception. The fans’ frustration over Tatum’s treatment could boil over, creating a tense and charged atmosphere.

NBA insiders Jake Issenberg and Sam Esfandiari discussed the possibility of Boston’s hostility towards Steve Kerr at TD Garden on the Celtics All Access podcast on CLNS. “I know one for sure and Steve Kerr will definitely be booed in TD Garden when the Golden State Warriors comes to town.” Jake Issenberg said. Sam Esfandiari agreed, pointing out that this could shake up the deep bond between the Warriors and Celtics.

“He[Steve Kerr] will not be a popular man when he comes to town. It’s funny because he has a lot of admiration for the Celtics, the way they do everything. Like, in many ways the two organizations view each other similarly, but Joe Lacob was a minority owner of the Celtics before he bought the Warriors,” Esfandiari said. Joe Lacob, who owns the Warriors now, used to have a stake in the Celtics, and Danny Ainge, a former Celtics executive, was instrumental in bringing Bob Myers, the former Warriors GM, onto the team. So, by booing Kerr, Celtics fans would be totally trashing all those deep connections and history they’ve built up over the years. It’s like throwing away a part of their own basketball legacy.

“Even just Steve Kerr, the way Stevens, Mazzulla sees the game, there a lot of similarities. It’s kind of ironic,” Esfandiari added. It’s wild how Kerr’s decision to bench Tatum during the Olympics has overshadowed the respect and admiration between the two teams. Fans’ frustration runs deep, and it’s clear that despite the connections and shared history, the situation will bring out some serious heat. So, would this be the right move?

Was Steve Kerr wrong to bench Tatum?

Well, to answer this, let’s look at the Olympics first. Steve Kerr is one of the greatest coaches ever, so it seems pretty unfair to slam him and boo him just for benching one player. Kerr also led Team USA to another Olypics gold medal. Sure, Tatum came off a killer NBA championship run, but he didn’t exactly light it up during the Olympics. So, isn’t it frustrating to see such a legendary coach getting so much heat over this when the bigger picture shows success?

“The collection of talent on this team was pretty absurd,” Issenbergd said. Team USA literally had an All-Star roster, with players like Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. It was even dubbed the ‘Dream Team 2.0.’ Almost all US team members are star players for their respective NBA teams. It was only natural that some players get time while others don’t. However, Tatum’s status and his exploits that led the Celtics to a championship were raised following Kerr’s decision. Some suggested that Team USA wouldn’t have struggled in the semis and the final if Tatum played.

However, the US finished with an unbeaten streak and bagged gold. In this regard, it’s hard to argue that Steve Kerr didn’t do an excellent job as head coach. So, is it really fair for fans to boo him just because he cut a player’s minutes? What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.