Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr got an earful when his 6-1 squad arrived in Boston to face off against the 7-1 Celtics on Wednesday night, their first encounter of the 2024-25 regular season.
Kerr benched All-NBA Celtics power forward Jayson Tatum for multiple games during Team USA’s 2024 Paris Olympics run to its fifth consecutive gold medal this past summer.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shouts to his team during their game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second half at Chase Center on October 30, 2024 in San Francisco, California. Kerr… Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shouts to his team during their game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second half at Chase Center on October 30, 2024 in San Francisco, California. Kerr had an interesting response to Boston boo birds on Wednesday night.
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He also opted to replace departed L.A. Clippers All-NBA small forward Kawhi Leonard with All-Defensive Boston guard Derrick White over Finals MVP small forward Jaylen Brown. Both those decisions clearly have not sat well with the Celtics faithful. The fact that Kerr’s Warriors beat Tatum and Brown’s Boston squad in the 2022 NBA Finals probably doesn’t exactly endear him to Beantown, either.
Read more: Celtics Hall of Famer Bob Cousy Annihilates Steve Kerr for Team USA Jayson Tatum Benching
Boston otherwise has a lot to celebrate, as its team is fresh off claiming a record 18th title last season, and already looks like one of the best franchises in the Eastern Conference this year.
When Kerr was announced by Boston’s in-game announcer, the former Team USA head coach was the subject of boos at TD Garden.
While remaining stone-faced, Kerr waved at Boston fans by way of a trolling greeting. It was the kind of grace under pressure that has become a staple of the longtime NBA sharpshooter’s tenure as a head coach with Golden State, whom he has in that capacity led since 2014.
Kerr, who won five titles as a player with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, has since added four championships as the Warriors’ head coach, while guiding the club to six NBA Finals berths overall. He boasts a 519-274 overall regular season record with the team, as well as a 99-41 playoff record. Kerr was also honored as the 2016 NBA Coach of the Year.
As of this writing, the Warriors narrowly lead the Celtics by a single point, 82-81, at the end of the game’s third quarter.
10-time All-NBA Warriors point guard (and 2024 Team USA gold medal game hero) Stephen Curry leads Golden State with 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor (3-of-5 from beyond the arc) and 4-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe. Curry has also logged seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals.
New addition Buddy Hield has 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field (3-of-6 from beyond the arc) off the bench. One-time All-Star small forward Andrew Wiggins is Golden State’s only other double-digit scorer, with 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 shooting from the foul line. Reserve forward Jonathan Kumina also has 10 points for Golden State.
Tatum is pacing Boston offensively, with 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor (5-of-8 from long range) and 6-of-8 shooting from the foul line, plus four rebounds, two assists and a steal. White has also notched 18 points of his own, on 5-of-13 shooting (5-of-11 from deep). Backup point guard Payton Pritchard has 13 points for Boston.
More news: Warriors’ Draymond Green Shockingly Praises Jordan Poole
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