Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr will be back next season, but the story certainly could have been much different had the season gone another way.
A new piece by ESPN’s Wright Thompson explored what went into Kerr’s decision to ultimately return for one more season. The day before the Warriors’ play-in game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Kerr had privately made the decision to retire, but waited to inform the team of his decision, wanting to do it properly and avoid any premature leaks, though he was still slightly conflicted over his choice.
That all changed when the Warriors rallied to beat the Clippers 126-121 in stunning fashion. Kerr felt it was one of the best wins of his career, and privately revealed to Thompson that he wasn’t leaving.
“I was 90 percent gone before yesterday’s game,” Kerr said after that game. “But tomorrow’s game could swing things the other way.”
Kerr wound up sticking with that decision, though he left it up in the air after their loss to the Phoenix Suns. He wound up signing a new two-year contract after meeting with ownership and working through whether he was still the right man for the job.
Ultimately, it sounds as if Kerr had a hard time walking away from Steph Curry and the rest of the remaining core. It remains to be seen how much longer he will coach, but it certainly sounds like when Curry goes, so will he. That just isn’t happening yet.
