Welcome to Boston, Steve Kerr.
A video surfaced on social media Tuesday, courtesy of Twitter user @mikeob59, that seemingly showed the Golden State Warriors head coach engaging in trash talk with a duck boat driver one day before Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
Kerr later confirmed the friendly verbal spat during a radio interview with Bay Area sports station KGMZ-FM, adding he also was the recipient of some middle fingers from Celtics fans upon arriving in Boston.
“We’re up the street from the hotel, outside and a nice summer’s evening in Boston. A lot of activity around us,” Kerr said on “Damon and Ratto.” “I’ve gotten a couple of double birds from the faithful here in Boston. I even had, you know the duck boats here in (Boston)? I had a duck boat drive by me, and the guy who is doing the tour said ‘hello’ to me on the intercom, you know, on the loudspeaker and made a comment about what they use the duck boats for in Boston.”
The duck boats have multiple uses, of course. Because aside from being a tourist attraction, they’ve also become synonymous with Boston’s abundance of sports championships over the past two decades.
The Celtics last rode on the duck boats as part of a championship celebration in 2008, when the Big Three — Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen — led Boston past the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. Can Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and company deliver another NBA title this season?
The Celtics and Warriors split the first two games at Chase Center, with Boston storming back with a huge fourth quarter in Game 1 and Golden State pulling away with a third-quarter surge in Game 2. The series shifts to TD Garden for Games 3 and 4, and Green Teamers clearly are fired up for the occasion.
“It was just good-natured Celtics fans,” Kerr said.
It’s hard to imagine the boisterous sign language and heckling ending until the Dubs leave town.
