How will C’s fans greet Steve Kerr? Warriors coach gives snarky reply originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Steve Kerr is leaning in.

Kerr’s Golden State Warriors visit TD Garden on Wednesday for the first time since Kerr drew the ire of Boston Celtics fans over the summer by benching Jayson Tatum twice at the 2024 Paris Olympics as Team USA’s head coach.

It’s a matchup that Celtics fans have anticipated since August for the opportunity to let Kerr know how they feel about his mistreatment of their superstar. And Kerr seemed well aware of the stakes Tuesday night when he went on KNBR’s Tolbert & Copes radio show to address the situation with a sarcasm-laden response.

“I’m excited. I think the fans are really going to cheer for me,” Kerr said. “Because you know what I did this past summer? I played Jrue Holiday and Derrick White a ton, and given that both guys are Celtics and the fact that Tatum also played a huge role in the proceedings — all three guys, major factors, and we won the gold medal.

“This is America. It’s the day after Election Day. I think Celtics fans are going to welcome me with open arms, and maybe even like bouquets of roses. … Heartfelt.”

Here’s the audio of Kerr’s comments, in case that sarcasm wasn’t loud enough for you:

We all know the story with Tatum, who was benched by Kerr for both of Team USA’s matchups with Serbia (one in group play and the other in the semifinals) and played the fewest minutes (71 in four games) of any team member outside Tyrese Haliburton. But as Kerr sarcastically let on, he also didn’t give much playing time to Tatum’s fellow Celtics on Team USA: White ranked 10th out of 12 players in minutes played, while Holiday ranked eighth.

Tatum admitted being glued to the bench Paris was a difficult experience for him after leading the Celtics to an NBA championship as a First-Team All-NBA superstar. So, we’d imagine he’ll be plenty motivated to hand Kerr and the Warriors a loss on Wednesday.

Kerr, meanwhile, has done everything but downplay the drama ahead of Wednesday night; he flaunted a 12-man rotation in the Warriors’ season opener (make of that what you will) and fanned the flames Tuesday with comments that should make the boos even louder at TD Garden.

Tip-off for Celtics-Warriors is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston, with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.