Stephen A. Smith Slams Steve Kerr for Creating a New Jayson Tatum As Knicks Crushed by Celtics’ Revenge Tour

Jayson Tatum dominated the New York Knicks with a jaw-dropping 37 points in the season opener. It almost seems unreal, but that’s exactly what he did for the Celtics. Knicks fans, however, see something deeper in this version of JT. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes it has Steve Kerr’s fingerprints all over it. The senior reporter drew lines between Kerr’s past coaching decisions in Paris and the hooper’s recent transformation, piecing it together like a gripping web series.

The Dubs and Team USA coach, Steve Kerr, handed the fresh 2024 NBA champion Jayson Tatum his second DNP in the crucial match against Serbia at the Olympics. This decision came as a shock to many, including his teammates. The boss’ explanation for this decision was: “It’s just hard to play 11 people, even in an NBA game… It’s a math problem more than anything.”

This has sparked some outrage among the JT fans, and some even believed that revenge was inevitable! Well, the predictions have come true. The first prey- the Knickerbockers. Stephen A. Smith is particularly upset with Steve Kerr because his favorite team did terribly against the reigning champions. We know how ‘good’ Smith is at retaining his thoughts.

So, in his completely honest way, the analyst took a sharp stance at coach Kerr. He said, “What Steve Kerr did to Jayson Tatum in the Olympics is egregious. You don’t go up to a first-team All-NBA player over the last three years who just won a championship a month earlier who spent the year averaging 27 a game and walk up to him before a game and say, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to find minutes for you’.” 

JT himself has often mentioned how the Olympics setback reshaped his outlook toward the game. So, Steve Kerr’s contribution to the post-Paris era cannot be denied altogether. Moreover, the Celtics #0’s Instagram Story suggesting a ‘revenge tour’ is on the way, is hinting at a bigger picture here. “We will avenge Jayson Tatum,” he wrote. Over the summer break, the 28-year-old was one of the most hardworking hoopers in literally every video that we all saw. He even modified his movements for agility and timing purposes.

Stephen A. Smith: "What Steve Kerr did to Jayson Tatum in the Olympics is egregious. You don't go up to a first-team All-NBA player over the last three years who just won a championship a month earlier who spent the year averaging 27 a game and walk up to him before a game and… pic.twitter.com/kmY5smGyMj

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 23, 2024

At the same time, Stephen A. Smith and other Knicks fans are just upset with the fact that a ‘new’ Jayson Tatum is standing before their eyes! And who knows for how long they have to bear with this revamped beast?

Did Steve Kerr’s decision truly turn the tables for Jayson Tatum?

Steve Kerr’s decision from the 2024 Paris Olympics continues to be a hot topic of debate in the basketball community. Despite coming off as a fresh NBA champion, JT found himself benched. Many called it unfair. Many anticipated a massive comeback.

‘Wait till the NBA returns!’ was a common theme on the fan forums. Well, it remains a mystery if JT transformed his game because of coach Kerr or his failure to acquire the Finals MVP title. Moreover, his slow 3-pointer launches had also been a point of discussion among the fans who believed Jay wasn’t up to the mark in the league of Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic to become the MVP.

But after the first game against the Knicks, we have to say, that was a one-man show. Even if Steve Kerr has nothing to do with the revamped version of the Celtics forward, most of the credits are going to him.

Jayson Tatum scored 37 points, shooting 14-of-18 from the field, including 6 three-pointers in the first half itself, leading the C’s to a decisive 132-109 victory. His 6 three-pointers in the first half set an NBA record for the most by a player in the first half of a team opener in league history.

This once again showed that the 28-year-old is indeed championship material. But Stephen A. Smith is solely focused on the Olympics and what Steve Kerr did to JT that made him work so hard that he turned his style to almost perfection.

Only Jayson Tatum can tell if the allegations, assumptions, and rumors are true in this case and, more importantly, clarify what motivated him. But, the rightful Player of the Game on the opening night, Jay has more tricks up his sleeves. What’s coming next remains a scary mystery for the rivals and even coach Steve Kerr must be concerned about the beast he allegedly created.