One day before Stephen Curry’s return from injury, Warriors coach Steve Kerr made sure to hail him as the greatest franchise face in NBA history.
In a recent chat with the media, the veteran coach (and multiple-time champion) touched on Steph’s legacy and importance to his team. Apparently, it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before in NBA history.
“He’s the greatest face of a franchise that I’ve ever seen,” said Kerr, via Joseph Dycus. “We owe it to our fans to give them the opportunity to watch Steph Curry play basketball this year. And Steph doesn’t even think twice about that. That’s what he wants. That’s what we want. That’s what our fans want. So we’re going to do that.”
Coming from someone who played with Michael Jordan, those words carry extra weight. For the Bulls, Jordan is everything, and his legacy as a six-time champion and five-time MVP is still synonymous with the franchise all these years later. For Steve Kerr, however, Steph has surpassed that, not just because of his game, but also because of his selfless humility that sets the ultimate example.
As a four-time champion and the greatest shooter ever, Steph has already done so much for the Warriors, and he’s not done yet. Now, at 38, he’s putting his body on the line as he deals with a nagging knee injury that’s cost him 27 games. He was having an elite season before going down, averaging 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 46.8% shooting and 39.1% shooting from three. With the Warriors in 10th, and just five games left on the schedule, there’s not much left to play for, but Curry still came back to finish out the season and give the fans one last show.
Plus, thanks to the play-in tournament, the Warriors still have a path to contention. If Curry can stay healthy, and they get meaningful contributions from Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis, they can sneak into the first round and try their luck against the Spurs or Thunder. Of course, Kerr’s coaching will also play a role in the outcome, and the players still trust his leadership even after a difficult season.
Draymond Green Wants A New Extension For Steve Kerr
As much as Stephen Curry embodies the best of the Warriors’ franchise, Steve Kerr is also partly responsible for their recent success. His coaching helped the Warriors reach the height of their potential, and Draymond Green says he needs to be rewarded for it. So, with the Warriors coach on an expiring contract, Dray made the case to keep him at all costs.
“We don’t want to play for anyone else,” Green said, via Tim Kawakami. “We built this thing together. Just as much impact as Steph Curry has had, as I’ve had, as Klay [Thompson] had, Steve’s had. We built this thing up from the ground. I think when you look at not signing an extension, I think Steve sits in the same place I sit. I’m not going to do anything that straps this team. I’m not going to do anything that handcuffs this organization. I think Steve sits in that same place. So when he didn’t sign an extension, none of us made much of it because we know he should and will have the choice to be here. And we all want to finish with him.”
The Warriors haven’t made a deep playoff run in years, and some fans have lost faith that Steve is the right voice in the locker room. That’s why there’s been a push to get him kicked out and replaced with a fresh face like Michael Malone, Terry Stotts, or Jeff Van Gundy.
But none of those guys have built the connections that Steve has. None of them were there to lead during the glory days, and none were there to settle things down when the going got tough. For Draymond, there’s nobody he’d rather play for than the guy who’s been through the trenches with him.
Ultimately, only time will tell how everything plays out, but if the players had their way, Kerr wouldn’t be going anywhere. In fact, they want to see him lead for the foreseeable future, and it really shows just how much trust and chemistry have been established in that locker room.
