Celtics fans showed their solidarity with Tatum (and to a lesser degree Brown, who lost out on a replacement spot on the Team USA roster to the very deserving Derrick White) in November, when they booed Kerr mercilessly when the Warriors visited TD Garden.

Monday's Warriors-Celtics game was a matchup of championship-winning franchises that faced off for the NBA title just three seasons ago. Only one team on Monday looked remotely like a playoff team, much less a title contender in 2025.

“I wouldn’t worry about the Celtics if I were one of their fans,” Kerr said. “This is normal.” The Celtics built a first-half lead on the back of their defense Monday before running away from the Golden State Warriors for a 125-85 win. It was less than two hours before tipoff when Kerr provided his perspective on his opponent’s recent slippage.