Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reflected on a rough 2023-24 season which saw more fans ask for his removal as head coach of the franchise than ever before. In an interview with Fox Sports, Kerr revealed that fans wanting him gone bothers him.
“Hell yes, it does.”
Kerr reiterated that he is thankful to have made a lavish living through basketball, and he can accept the trade-off of having people speculate over his job security.
“I never in a million years could have imagined that my life would be in basketball and that I would achieve this kind of wealth through a game… If the price for that is for people to say I should be fired, that’s a pretty good tradeoff.”
Kerr also made it clear that he values the role he played in making the Warriors a dynasty and that he wants this chapter of the team to end with dignity for all his players.
“I’m not trying to be totally modest and say I had nothing to do with it. I did have something to do with it. And it made me proud. But the stars really aligned and there has to be a sense of honesty and humility. If the stars didn’t align, I could’ve gone to the Knicks and been fired after two years and never had any of these experiences. I want this to end with contentment and dignity. I want our players to feel proud.”
The Warriors ended their season as the No. 10 seed in the West, losing the 9-10 Play-In game to an injured Sacramento Kings who failed to make the playoffs themselves.
Kerr was given a contract extension by team owner Joe Lacob this season, likely a reward for shepherding the franchise for the last decade and bringing them an unlikely championship in 2022.
The Championship Dynasty Expected To Stay Together
Steve Kerr talking about this era of the team ending with dignity for the players was crucial, as there’s one player who could meet an undignified end to his stint with the Warriors if he’s let go this summer. That player is Klay Thompson, who went scoreless in the Warriors’ Play-In loss to the Kings.
All major voices in the Warriors locker room have advocated for Klay to return to the franchise as a free agent. Stephen Curry made it clear he can’t see himself playing without Klay and Draymond Green by his side.
“I can never see myself not with those two guys. I understand this league changes and there’s so many things that go into it and we’re not going to play forever. But we experienced so much together. At the end of the day, I know they want to win and I know I want to win and that’s all I worry about.”
Draymond Green pointed out how the franchise has done right by him and Steph, so they’re bound to do the same for Klay.
“I don’t think there’s any scenario where Klay leaves and that’s the best scenario for this team of organization. They did right by me. They’ve done right by Steph. They’ve done right by all of us.”
Klay averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in a disappointing year for the Warriors. With Curry, Green, and Kerr under contract, ensuring Thompson returns is all the team needs to keep the core of their dynasty alive.
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