Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr appeared to take aim at the wrong target on Sunday in the team’s loss to the New York Knicks.
Warriors rookie Will Richard deflected a lazy pass from Knicks guard Landry Shamet that triggered a fastbreak opportunity for Golden State late in the first half at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, N.Y. The ball rolled into the hands of Brandin Podziemski, who overthrew the lead pass to a leaking-out Richard.
What should have been an easy layup resulted in an unforced Warriors miscue that gave the ball back to the Knicks.
“The ball matters! The ball is everything!” Kerr was heard screaming at Richard.
Will Richard steal > overthrown pass by Podz > Turnover > Knicks 3 > Timeout by Steve Kerr:
— aly ✶ (@jinthirty) March 16, 2026
“The ball matters! The ball is everything!” pic.twitter.com/PShTHSmDp7
The mistake hurt even more when OG Anunoby converted a three-pointer on the other end, cutting the Warriors’ lead down to 52-42. Kerr immediately called a timeout and got right into the face of Richard, who was ironically comforted by Podziemski.
Podziemski was pretty clearly at fault with his errant pass to Richard, who did not seem to slow down at all as he tried to keep the ball in bounds. You can see the play from a different angle here, which shows that Podziemski’s pass did not lead Richard toward the basket.
Podz threw a TERRIBLE pass and Steve Kerr started YELLING at Will Richards 😭
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) March 16, 2026
“G*DAMN! The ball matters! THE BALL IS EVERYTHING!” pic.twitter.com/Ykm1oGyc1s
The play resulted in a five-point swing, which proved decisive in a game the Warriors lost 110-107.
Kerr may have made an honest mistake in misreading the situation. But it won’t necessarily help his reputation among some Warriors fans who believe the four-time champion coach rarely gives young players enough leeway to make mistakes.
