Steve Kerr tried to mitigate the perceived beef with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, providing transient particulars of a chit-chat the 2 shared in Golden State.
Kerr claims the 2 have spoken a number of instances, and have even exchanged textual content messages because the 2024 Paris Olympic drama unfolded this previous summer season — Tatum sat out twice in USA Basketball’s six-game gold medal run. But, that wasn’t sufficient to restore the surface notion of their relationship coming into the common season and into Monday evening’s Celtics-Warriors matchup at Chase Heart.
Tatum, earlier than persevering with Boston’s four-game street journey in Los Angeles towards the Clippers, confirmed Kerr’s retelling of occasions from earlier this week.
“Yeah, I noticed him after (the sport). They simply caught that half (on tv) however I stated what’s as much as him,” Tatum informed reporters at apply Wednesday, per CLNS Media. “Informed him, ‘Good luck for the remainder of the season.’”
Boston handed Golden State a back-alley beatdown that led to a 125-85 remaining rating, and instantly after cameras captured Kerr tried to greet Tatum and Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown. Tatum was in the midst of a dialog with Warriors star Stephen Curry whereas Brown awkwardly stared at Kerr earlier than the 59-year-old — selecting up what the Jays have been placing down — strolled alongside.
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Social media shortly acquired a maintain of the clip and reignited the Tatum-Kerr beef, albeit with a hilariously uncomfortable second worthy of going viral.
Tatum made straightforward work of the Warriors, scoring 22 factors and falling a rebound shy of a double-double. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla rewarded Tatum’s efforts by sitting him for the whole thing of the fourth quarter and allowed the reserves to get some rubbish time burn en path to forcing Kerr to endure a 40-point loss.
The supposed repaired relationship, in line with Kerr, had been within the works months earlier than Tatum and Brown secured their revenge victory in Golden State. Kerr claims he’d spoken with Tatum lengthy earlier than Monday’s recreation and that the meat had been “overblown” by the media and everybody from the surface.
“We texted after the sport in Boston a few months in the past and we talked final evening after the sport,” Kerr informed 95.7 The Recreation’s “Willard & Dibs” present. “I’ll let you know that Jayson was an absolute dream to teach. Throughout all that stuff, that so-called controversy, you may discover there wasn’t a single quote from Jayson. It was all people else speaking about it. Jayson’s an incredible man and an unimaginable participant and he couldn’t have dealt with it any higher when he was there. The truth is 2024 these guys are all within the highlight. There’s a lot stress on them and that entire factor was overblown.”
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Tatum, Brown and the Celtics have since had the final giggle all through their title protection.
Boston’s blowout victory to kick off its street journey dropped Golden State to eleventh place within the Western Convention at 21-21 whereas the C’s turned the third workforce within the NBA to eclipse 30 regular-season wins because the No. 2 seed within the Japanese Convention.
