Steve Kerr was apparently on the verge of ending his coaching career with the Golden State Warriors. Now, the successful coach has spoken in detail for the first time about his difficult decision—and about the one game that changed everything.
As ESPN reporter Wright Thompson reports, Kerr had reportedly already decided to end his career after the season before the first play-in game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors coach had estimated his likelihood of retiring at the time to be “95 percent.” “I think it’s over,” Kerr is said to have remarked before the game.
The past few months had taken a heavy emotional toll on the 12-time Warriors coach. Golden State struggled with injuries, inconsistency, and questions surrounding the aging core of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. At the same time, Kerr was increasingly concerned about his own future—partly due to the health issues of his longtime mentor Gregg Popovich, who had to scale back his duties after suffering a stroke.
“It’s a little scary to leave something I love,” Kerr explained. He would especially miss the daily routine of meetings, travel, and games. Nevertheless, the 60-year-old kept asking himself whether the right time had come to say goodbye. “You don’t want to leave too early, but you also don’t want to leave too late,” Kerr said.
That’s why Kerr decided to stay
After Curry’s return toward the end of the season, the mood on the team suddenly shifted again. During a walk with his wife Margot, Kerr is even said to have remarked: “How could I ever leave Steph Curry?”
Then came the emotional play-in game against the Clippers. The Warriors rallied late to win 126-121—according to Thompson, one of Kerr’s favorite games of his entire coaching career. After the game, the atmosphere briefly felt like it did during the championship years. “For one night, we were ourselves again,” Kerr said later.
That very evening, the coach apparently changed his mind. “I’m not leaving,” Kerr later said quietly to Thompson during a private moment with the coaching staff, according to Thompson. Shortly thereafter, Kerr found numerous messages on his phone—including one from his wife Margot with the same words: “You’re not leaving.” A few weeks later, Kerr finally signed a new two-year contract extension with Golden State.