Steve Kerr discusses Jayson Tatum’s alleged snub after loss to the Celtics

Steve Kerr drew the ire of Celtics fans last summer after he controversially benched Jayson Tatum during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The drama surrounding the move has died down over the past few months as the NBA season has progressed, but it resurfaced on Monday. Cameras caught Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown seemingly giving Kerr the cold shoulder after Boston’s stunning win over Golden State.

However, the Warriors coach did his best to downplay any apparent tension between him and Tatum during an appearance Tuesday on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. Despite the perceived on-court snub, Kerr spoke about his relationships with all the Celtics with ties to Team USA and how they connected after the game.

“Great, fantastic conversations and interactions with former Americans, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown. I coached him at the World Cup in 2019,” Kerr said. “It’s always fun to see people you relate to. After game night (Monday), I had a chance to visit with all of these guys, including Jayson (Tatum). It was great to see them and I’m always happy for the guys I’ve coached.”

Kerr went on to speak at length about his interaction with the Celtics All-Star after Boston handed the Warriors their worst home loss of Kerr’s tenure as coach.

“We texted after the Boston game a few months ago and talked after the game last night,” Kerr said. “I can tell you that coaching Jayson has been an absolute dream. In all of this stuff, this so-called controversy, you may have noticed that there wasn’t a single quote from Jayson. Everyone else was talking about it. Jayson is a great guy and an incredible player and he couldn’t have done better when he was there.

“The reality is that it is 2024 and these guys are all in the spotlight. There’s so much pressure on them and the whole thing was exaggerated and just a modern media thing. He handled it wonderfully, we won a gold medal, everyone is happy. To be honest, I don’t even think about it anymore.”

After Monday’s win, Tatum and the Celtics will not see Kerr or the Warriors again this season. The team continues its road trip on Wednesday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.

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