Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr didn’t even know if he was going to make it in the NBA. He once told a panel at a “Players Only” gathering how in his rookie season against Michael Jordan he didn’t even want to go in the game — Jordan intimidated him too much. But later in his career, that same Jordan threw Steve Kerr a pass to knock down a jumper and seal a Bulls championship. That’s the way it goes for Kerr. He won five NBA titles in all as a player, three with the Bulls and two with the Spurs. He’s added three titles as a head coach and broken all the coaching records in sight — fastest to win 250 games, etc.
So Steve Kerr has seen it all. And when a frustrated, tired Klay Thompson got some heat for dissing the Warriors fans at Oracle Arena, Kerr jumped in to defend his superstar shooting guard. After a blowout home loss to the inept Phoenix Suns (against which the Warriors had won 18 straight), Thompson admitted the season felt long and added: “I expect our crowd to be little more into it, too. Like, I know it’s not the playoffs, but…” Ooops. Kerr said he understood Thompson’s frustration — he’s tired too — and maybe the fans are even a little fatigued and jaded after all the winning. But Kerr knows it’s all in the player’s hands and said, “when you play with a great energy and a great pace and spirit, the fans are going to be naturally more excited.” Kerr added: “I think the fans have helped us win at a high level, and we need them, but we got to give them more to cheer about, for sure.”
I love DubNation. We have the greatest fan base in sports. We feed greatly off their energy in Oracle and I meant no disrespect. #timetogotowork #roadwarriors
— klay thompson (@KlayThompson) March 13, 2019
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