Steve Kerr was out of line.
Either that, or the four-time NBA champion, $17.5 million-per-year Warriors head coach is trying to deflect some blame away from one of his star players following a shocking sideline spat with Draymond Green.
Kerr and Green had a heated exchange during a third-quarter timeout in Monday night’s win over the Magic, and Green even left the court in the aftermath to cool down before later returning to the bench.
“Monday night was not my finest hour, and that was a time I needed to be calm in the huddle,” Kerr told reporters on Wednesday. “I regret my actions in that exchange. I apologized to [Green]. He apologized to me. We both apologized to the team.
“These things, they happen, especially when you get two incredibly competitive people like Dray and me. So, over the 12 years we’ve been together, this has happened occasionally, and I’m not proud of it.”
Then again, the charismatic, borderline professorial Kerr is the same guy who got into a practice fist fight with Michael Jordan during his playing days with the Bulls.
“We are far more alike than anyone would ever realize,” Kerr said of Green, the serial winner and technical-foul magnet. “So yeah, this is not totally uncommon. I would say this hasn’t happened in a few years, this kind of a divide and a blowup, but in our 12 years together, it’s not the first time. And we’ve always, always found a way to not only bounce back, but to make strides as a result.”
Strides are required with the Warriors sitting at 15-15, in Play-In position in the Western Conference, heading into Thursday’s nationally televised Christmas game against the visiting Mavericks.
Meanwhile, another season of the Kerr-Draymond-Steph Curry connection is ticking away, and Kerr has made a habit of trying to take the blame.
“We’ve got to find a way to connect the game. That’s my job. I’m not doing my job well this year,” Kerr said after a Dec. 14 loss to the Trail Blazers. “We have enough talent to be much better. We’re losing all these close games, so I’ve got to find a way to help these guys.”
Kerr, 60, is believed to be in the final season of his contract with the Warriors. In 11 and a half seasons, he has four titles, six Finals appearances and a .643 winning percentage.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
