Jan 20, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts after the Celtics made a three point basket against the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
The Golden State Warriors have taken a huge dip this season, and everything collapsed in Monday's matchup against the Boston Celtics. The Warriors suffered a 40-point home loss to the Celtics, their second-biggest loss of the season, and their 85 points scored is a new season low.
The Warriors have fallen to 21-21 on the season, as head coach Steve Kerr catches flak for their disappointing collapse.
Kerr and Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum have a history, dating back to the 2024 Paris Olympics where Tatum logged multiple DNPs, due to Kerr's decision. This controversial coaching decision by Kerr sparked many conversations, most not happy about leaving the Celtics superstar out of the rotation.
While Team USA won Gold, Tatum could not have been pleased with traveling to Paris as one of the league's biggest superstars just to sit on the bench.
Following the Warriors and Celtics matchup on Monday, Kerr spoke on the controversial move to bench Boston's superstar.
"We texted after the game in Boston a couple of months ago and we talked last night after the game," Kerr said. "I will tell you that Jayson was an absolute dream to coach. During all that stuff, that so called controversy, you might notice there wasn’t a single quote from Jayson. It was everybody else talking about it. Jayson is an amazing guy and an incredible player and he couldn’t have handled it any better when he was there."
While Kerr's comments suggest Tatum has no problems with his decision over the summer, an odd interaction between the two after Monday's matchup has made many believe otherwise.
Via Joe Giza: "Great awkward Steve Kerr moment at the end of the game"
The Warriors and Celtics have had somewhat of a rivalry since meeting in the 2022 NBA Finals, where Golden State earned their fourth title within eight years. Many speculated that Kerr had a vendetta against Tatum while the Olympics were happening, but the Warriors head coach seems to be turning down any possibility of that.
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