Warriors react to Steve Kerr’s record extension: ‘I think it’s incredible’
SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr declined to comment on his reported two-year contract extension with the Warriors, but that’s just a formality. The ink’s not dry yet.
Kerr, 58, is set to become the highest-paid NBA head coach on an annual basis as his agency told ESPN and multiple outlets confirmed his two-year, $35 million deal.
While he wasn’t ready to discuss in detail after Golden State’s blowout win over Charlotte, he joked that he feels “really good” about his future with the organization. And there was one common reaction from his players.
“Man, that’s a lot of money,” Draymond Green said.
“Oh my gosh, that is a lot of money,” Brandin Podziemski said.
Green, in a wide-ranging postgame session that included a light-hearted comedy roast of Grant Williams, discussed the “progression of a dynasty.” As Kerr’s extension aligns with Steph Curry through the 2025-26 season, that arc will continue with the same head coach who helped bring four NBA titles to the Bay.
“I think it’s incredible. I wouldn’t want to finish my time here with any other coach,” said Green, who won’t have to. “What he’s meant to this franchise, what he’s done for us as players, the winning ways that he brought here — you can’t replace that.”
Kerr had been a lame duck coach up until this point, which is rare for a figure of his stature. Green said he had no doubts that the Warriors and Kerr would come to an agreement because he trusts team owner Joe Lacob to “do the right thing.”
The modern NBA has been defined by player movement and constant personnel reshuffling. But the Warriors have been a beacon of continuity with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Green and Kerr as constants. They’ll almost certainly each have their own statues one day, and Kerr is the third-longest tenured coach in the league — behind only Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra.
Kerr has racked up the fifth-best winning percentage among coaches with at least five years of experience in his 10 seasons at the helm. He introduced a free-flowing offense around Curry that remains unique in a league that has become more homogenous. His interpersonal skills, championship experience and worldly perspective have helped him navigate the team through scores of adversity over the past decade. It has also helped him empower players and provide them the blueprint to fitting into his often complex system.
“Well deserved,” Gary Payton II said of Kerr’s extension. “Shoutout Mike Dunleavy for getting it done. Coach, he actually gave me my first real shot when I got here a few years ago. I told me just be me, do what you do, don’t worry about offensively. You’ll find your spots just as time comes. Other than that, he literally just told me to fire. I didn’t have nobody in the organization or coaching staff give me that confidence. He gave me that when I first got here.”
The latest challenge for Kerr has been to turn more of the team over to its wave of young players. He recently made the difficult decision to bring Thompson off the bench and has allowed Jonathan Kuminga more runway in his third year.
Said Green: “I think Steve has got a lot of unfair criticism about playing young guys when, number one, you haven’t had to or needed to, but yet as soon as you’re needed to you’re doing it, and you’ve made that adjustment. And look what it’s done for our season.”
For as much attention as the “two timeline” approach has gotten over the years, the only timeline that matters now is the one Curry and Kerr are on.