Celtics News: Jayson Tatum Has NSFW Response to Fans Pushing 'Revenge Game' Narrative

The Boston All-NBA power forward has some thoughts.

Nov 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives to the basket during the first half against the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Five-time Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum, an early MVP candidate with his superlative play this year, submitted yet another terrific performance on Wednesday. Unusually for Boston this year, that performance still resulted in a loss, as the Celtics were vanquished by their old 2022 NBA Finals nemeses, the revamped Golden State Warriors, in a back-and-forth 118-112 road affair.

Tatum did his part in the losing effort, however. In 36:45, the 6-foot-8 Duke product scored a game-most 32 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field (5-of-10 from long range) and 7-of-9 shooting from the charity stripe, while also pulling down four rebounds, dishing out a pair of dimes, swiping a steal and blocking a shot.

Boston also roundly outshot the Warriors from deep. The Celtics went 19-of-54 from long range, while Golden State connected on a more efficient 14-of-34 of its shots beyond the 3-point arc. But the Warriors enjoyed a major advantage in paint scoring, 52-36, that seemed to really ice the proceedings against a Celtics team missing two starters in Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis.

Read More: 4 Takeaways from Celtics' Narrow Loss to Golden State

After the defeat, Tatum addressed the elephant in the room: his relationship with Warriors head coach with Steve Kerr.

The entire Boston fanbase has understandable beef with Kerr for his treatment of much of their team during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kerr served as head coach for the U.S. men's basketball program, and shockingly didn't play Tatum much, despite him being the best player on the reigning NBA champs. Tatum's jumper had abandoned him in the playoffs, and evidently Kerr was more comfortable leaning on older All-Star forwards like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. All-Defensive Boston guard Derrick White was brought in as a late addition after L.A. Clippers All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard had to leave the team's pre-Olympics training camp in Las Vegas. That move, too, was controversial, as Boston fans (and Jaylen Brown) wanted Kerr to bring on three-time All-Star Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown, a better all-around player.

Although some fans may have wanted Tatum to play with extra anger and aggression against Kerr's Warriors in what could have been a "revenge game," Tatum himself was apparently disinterested in that approach, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.

“People want me to be loud. People want me to be mean," Tatum said. "One thing about Jayson, I’m always going to do what the f--- I want to do. And approach things how I want to approach them."

More Celtics: Steve Kerr Unapologetic For Benching Jayson Tatum in Olympics