The Celtics and Warriors have quietly formed quite a rivalry over the past few years.
In 2022, Golden State vanquished Boston in six games, securing the franchise's fourth ring of the Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr era. The series was largely defined by its chippy nature; from Grant Williams and Marcus Smart to Draymond Green, physicality reigned supreme.
Not much has changed in the two years and some change since the Warriors win. In fact, the animosity very well could have intensified. The reason why? Kerr's handling of Jayson Tatum's minutes during the 2024 Olympic Games.
With that, here's what you need to know about Kerr and Tatum's working relationship, a tense partnership that undergirded Celtics fans' decision to serenade the title-winning coach with a sea of boos.
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Celtics fans still don't appear to have forgiven Kerr for his decision to keep Tatum on the bench at times in the 2024 Paris Olympics. They shrouded the Warriors coach in a tempest of boos on Wednesday night.
Tatum tallied just 71 minutes of game time across seven games, the second-fewest in the squad. He received two DNPs during the tournament, one which came in Team USA's 26-point win over Serbia in the group stage, the other taking place in USA's epic comeback over the Serbs in the semifinals.
In the Olympic final against France, Tatum scored two points and grabbed three rebounds across 11 minutes.
Kerr offered a litany of reasons why he didn't set aside minutes for the first-team All-NBA wing. In the Americans' first clash with Serbia, Kerr cited the desire to get Kevin Durant involved after the Suns star missed out on Team USA's tune-up games with injury.
"I went with the combinations that made sense," Kerr said after the game. "It's tough but Jayson handled it really well."
MORE: Explaining Steve Kerr's decision to not play Jayson Tatum in Paris Olympics
Kerr added that lineups, matchups and game length threw a wrinkle in his strategy.
I talked to him today before the game that it may play out this way just with Kevin coming back and the lineups that I wanted to get to but that'll change. Jayson's gonna play, every game's gonna be different based on matchups. He's a total pro -- he's First Team All-NBA three years in a row.
I felt like an idiot not playing him, but in a 40-minute game, you can't play more than 10. You really can't.
Tatum's absence precipitated a firestorm of sorts across segments of Boston fandom. He ended his stint in Paris in style, frolicking around with his teammates while gold swung across his neck.
Still, Kerr's move made for awkward viewing. C's fans won't let him forget about it anytime soon, either.
"I'm sure a lot of Celtics fans will cheer me for being part of Team USA, and us winning a gold medal," Kerr said before Wednesday's matchup.