Watching ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary has become a ritual over the past several Sundays, and it has been widely acclaimed viewing. For Steve Kerr, though, the reminders are a bit different.
Kerr was a part of the Bulls team featured in the documentary, but it also reminded him of getting the Golden State Warriors over the line for their second consecutive title in 2018.
“To be honest, [the documentary] is just confirmation of what I was saying to our team all of last year and 2018,” Kerr told Nick Friedell of ESPN. “The whole messaging for the year was based on my experience with Chicago and feeling that level of fatigue [and] emotional toll that had been over the previous four years. …
“And so watching this now is just a reminder of how difficult it is to sustain that kind of run.”
Warriors general manager Bob Myers agreed, adding that the second title the team won with Kevin Durant in the fold lacked joy.
“The second time with Kevin [in 2018] it felt like, ‘Well, we just did what we were supposed to do, and great job,'” Myers said. “It wasn’t joy.
“I’m sure a lot of people felt differently. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. I think there’s just a weight to everything. And so I’m sure [the Bulls] felt that weight of everything, weight of relationships.”
When the Warriors won their first title in 2015, it was a remarkable and memorable achievement. After their loss in 2016, they added Durant. 2017 was about getting him a title and getting revenge on the Cavaliers, but 2018 simply felt like they had to win or else.
No wonder Kerr felt like the Warriors had already peaked in 2018.
