Warriors’ Steve Kerr echoes Phil Jackson amid retirement rumors, NBA Play-In exit
All great things must come to an end. For a time, fans posit that the Golden State Warriors dynasty has yet to fade into history. Now, those concerns of no longer being a top competitor and heading into a rebuild are becoming more apparent. It started when Stephen Curry and Draymond Green could not escape the NBA Play-In Tournament. Now, they have to face rough realities in the coming months — a big one is Coach Steve Kerr’s possible retirement.
When asked about these looming changes, all he could do was recite profound narratives that he got from Coach Phil Jackson.
Kerr echoes Jackson to ease woes on Warriors loss, possible retirement
Coach Steve Kerr knows a lot about winning. Before leading Stephen Curry and the Warriors to a dynasty in the 2010s, he was part of the illustrious 1990s Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan. During those times, he got mentored by Coach Phil Jackson. In recent years, it has become obvious how Kerr took from his former head coach and his leadership qualities.
Coach Kerr is now in the same place that Jackson was back when the championship were starting to become hard to attain. Retirement rumors and murmurs of him leaving the Warriors have also run amok. It was just fitting that the Warriors head coach remembered his former mentor in addressing these concerns a month before their 111-96 NBA Play-In Tournament loss to the Phoenix Suns, via Nick Friedell and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.
“I always remember Phil’s quote Life is a metaphor for basketball and basketball is a metaphor for life.’ It’s a beautiful statement. … We’ve had years where the gods shone on us, and we walked away with a trophy. And we’ve had years where, like this year, where you get hit in the mouth and knocked down. No different from life. But you get to do this with a group of people you love, and fight through something together, there’s so much value in that. And gratitude for the opportunity,» Kerr said.
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The Warriors had a decorated run with Coach Kerr. He led them to six NBA Finals appearances in a span of eight years. Curry managed to win four Larry O’Brien trophies because of him and even Coach Kerr notched a Coach of the Year award back in 2016. Poetically, he was also the sole coach to break Jackson’s record of most wins in an NBA season as the Warriors got a 73-9 record.
«If you let the adversity and the losses beat you down, then it’s not for you. But if you look at them as challenges, and a chance to fight through something, and enjoy it for all the other reasons you can enjoy it, then it’s still really damn fun,» the Warriors head coach added.
His two-year $35 million deal is now up. Whether or not this is Coach Kerr’s last ride with the Warriors, he will always be happy to have been part of an immortal legacy.
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More Warriors News:
Curry, Draymond and Kerr share possible «end of era» moment in Warriors loss
What to know about Steve Kerr’s future after embrace with Warriors stars
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