Steve Kerr is not perfect. No coach is. But he has been excelling for 12 years in the NBA, helping bring four championships to the Bay Area. The reason for Kerr’s success has been his ability to evolve. And the 60-year-old’s latest challenge is how to coach Jonathan Kuminga.
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Earlier this year, the Kuminga situation in Golden State put both the player and the organization in a bad light. Kerr even admitted that he’s not the kind of coach who turns young players into superstars. But with the Congolese forward eventually staying, Kerr has worked hard to integrate him into the rotation.
It’s still early in the season, but Kuminga looks good. And his performance dynamic with the rest of the players on the Warriors’ roster was the topic of conversation during Draymond Green’s interview on the Boardroom.
The four-time NBA champ, who won all of his rings playing under Kerr, spoke about the Bulls’ legend’s ability to adapt. “He’s had to change,” said Green.
“A lot of people forget, when Steve first came in, he was a first-time head coach. He had zero coaching experience when he came in. So just the evolution of that over the course of the last 11 years alone in itself, that’ll change someone,” he added.
Kerr has been at the helm of the Warriors franchise at its highest point. Sure, having Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and, of course, Draymond Green helped. But there have been teams with even more talent that never won. So Kerr plays a pivotal role in making it all work.
Green was then asked about an area that Kerr has vastly improved on. “His communication,” he replied. “He’s grown so much in his communication [skills] or how to communicate with players. How to have tough conversations.”
Green also used this as an opportunity to address an elephant in the room: Kerr’s relationship with Kuminga.
“Jonathan Kuminga is different than any player Steve Kerr has ever coached. That type of athleticism, that skillset at that age, and the demeanor and mindset that Jonathan Kuminga has is a mix of things that Steve Kerr has never had to coach,” explained Green.
This comes after an offseason where it seemed certain that Kuminga and the Dubs were going to go their separate ways due to contract disputes. However, it now seems not to be the case.
“He [Kerr] has adjusted and learned this kid year after year after year. Become more familiar with how to coach him. That takes some time when the guys you’ve coached are Steph Curry, Klay Thompson,” said Green.
“I’ve watched him put the time in to work at figuring that out. I’ve watched how much he cares, how much he comes to us, that kind of bridges the gap between him and Kuminga,” mentioned Green, who seemed proud at how Kerr conveyed his teachings to Kuminga through members of the team he knows so well.
“When you speak of growth, that is growth,” Green added.
Kerr knows how to deal with big stars. There’s a reason he was the coach for the 2024 Team USA at the Olympics. And in Paris, he had to make tough decisions like sitting Jayson Tatum and giving more time to players like Anthony Edwards and Joel Embiid.
That’s why Team USA walked away with gold. There were times, including in the semifinal against Serbia, where things looked dim. But Kerr remained cool, calm, and collected. Team USA came roaring back and went on to capture the top prize at the French capital.
