Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr sat down for his first media availability session since signing a two-year deal to return to Golden State. After the Warriors were eliminated from the play-in tournament last season, Kerr’s future with the team was up in the air.
Kerr gave no public indication he would return and would deflect any questions about his long-term future. After weeks of deliberation with Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy, the Dubs finally announced his return last Saturday.
A week later, Kerr sat down with reporters to discuss his return, shedding light on the things that led to his decision.
Let’s look at three important questions Kerr answered in his press conference.
Important questions Steve Kerr answered in his first press conference since returning as the Warriors coach
Steve Kerr on being committed to playing a rookie next season
“I’ve talked to Mike,” Kerr said. “I don’t know the draft, but he feels really strongly we’re going to get a good player. It could be a 19-year-old and it could be someone older. … That guy has to play. He’s got to earn it. But we’re committed to the development of our young players.”
While it is expected that the Warriors could go for an older prospect in the upcoming draft, it seems that, regardless of age, Golden State’s rookie for the 2026-27 season will be getting opportunities in Kerr’s rotation.
Mock drafts from ESPN, Bleacher Report and The Athletic predict that the team could draft Yaxel Lendeborg, who will turn 24 in 2026, Aday Mara (21) or NBL forward Karim Lopez (19).
Steve Kerr revealed why he decided to return as the Warriors’ coach
When asked about why he returned as the Warriors’ coach, Steve Kerr shared how a conversation with his wife helped shape his decision.
“My wife said, ‘You might coach again someday, but you’ll never coach the Warriors again,’ and that was really meaningful because I love this team, I love our players, and that struck me,” Kerr said. “I couldn’t imagine walking away from the Warriors.”
Steve Kerr took over the Warriors in 2014 and has spent 12 seasons at the helm. He has led them to six NBA Finals appearances, winning four championships. Kerr has gone 604-353 in the regular season with the Dubs.
Steve Kerr on whether his political views shaped his decision to return to the Warriors
Speaking to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, Kerr revealed that his political stance was never brought up amid conversations regarding his future with the franchise.
“Steve Kerr says his political stance and how he speaks his mind ‘literally’ never came (up) in talks with Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy,” Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area reported.
While Kerr and the team’s owners discussed a path forward, reports emerged suggesting that there was some “unhappiness” regarding Kerr’s political commentary. ESPN’s Marc Spears also addressed the subject in April.
“I have heard that maybe, maybe there are some people that are tired of his voice,” Spears said. “If that is true, then maybe that’s something that could add to Steve’s fatigue as well, because he’s a great man. He’s not just a great white man, he’s a great man, he’s a great human, and he cares about other people. So I don’t think he would compromise that.”
Kerr will look to improve on the team’s performance next season. The Warriors finished 10th in the Western Conference with a 37-45 record.
