Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is weighing his options for next season after his team’s playoff hopes came to an end Friday evening in Phoenix.
Following the Warriors’ elimination from the play-in tournament, the veteran coach hinted that his tenure with the franchise might be coming to a close.
“It might still go on. It may not,” Kerr stated after Golden State’s loss to the Suns, which marked the fourth time in seven years the Warriors have failed to reach the playoffs.
In the closing moments of Friday’s game, Kerr was seen hugging team leaders Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, appearing to say “thank you” to the two players who have been with him throughout the Warriors’ championship runs.
When pressed about what he told the players during those final moments, Kerr declined to elaborate.
“None of your business,” he responded with a grin.
Both Green and Curry expressed their desire for Kerr to continue leading the team. Speculation about Kerr’s future has intensified as he completed the final year of his current deal.
“I want Coach to be happy. I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe you know he’s the right guy for the job,” Curry explained. “I want him to have an opportunity to again enjoy what he does. So, whatever that means for him, you know, everybody’s plan is their own. And I’m not going to try to tell anybody what to do. He knows how I feel about him. That shouldn’t even need to be said.”
Green also shared his thoughts on potentially losing his longtime coach: “I just don’t deal with change well. I don’t love it. So, I don’t want to think about that. I hope that’s not the case. but we’ll see what happens.”
The 60-year-old mentor has spent 12 seasons with Golden State, compiling a 604-353 record during his tenure. Under his leadership, the Warriors reached the NBA Finals six times in his first seven seasons and captured an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in Paris last year.
Kerr indicated he plans to sit down with team owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy in the coming weeks to determine the organization’s direction.
“We’ll talk about what’s next for the Warriors, what the plan is this offseason,” Kerr explained. “And we will come to a collaborative decision on what’s next. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I still love coaching. But I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date. there’s a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas and all that.
“And, if that’s the case, then I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise, in front of our fans in the Bay and to coach Steph Curry, to coach Dray and the whole group.”
This season proved challenging for Golden State, finishing with a 37-45 record while battling injuries throughout the campaign. The team showed resilience by overcoming a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday to secure their play-in opportunity, but couldn’t maintain that momentum against Phoenix.
“This was as tough a season as you can have, with the injuries, with all kinds of adversity,” Kerr reflected. “And they battled, and they battled the entire season. They kept going the other night just to, you know, continue the season, to show that kind of fight. And then tonight, we just didn’t have it. But the competitive desire was there. And I’m proud of the group for finishing the season the right way by continuing to fight and trying to win every game.”
Throughout his career, Kerr has emphasized his fortunate position in basketball, having won five championships as a player and four as a coach. His playing career included time with legendary coaches and players, from Lute Olsen at Arizona to Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich in the pros, alongside stars like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, and Tim Duncan.
Kerr has frequently described coaching Curry, whom he considers the greatest franchise player he’s witnessed, as a privilege.
“The only thing I’ve learned is that I’m the luckiest guy in the NBA’s history,” Kerr concluded.
