Steve Kerr is not perfect. No coach is. But he’s been excelling for 12 years and has helped bring four championships to the Bay Area. The reason behind his success? His ability to evolve, with his latest challenge being how to coach Jonathan Kuminga.
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Earlier this year, the Kuminga situation in Golden State reflected poorly on both the player and the organization. Kerr even admitted that he’s not the kind of coach who turns young players into superstars. But with the Congolese forward ultimately staying, Kerr has worked hard to integrate him into the rotation. It’s still early in the season, but Kuminga looks good.
This was the topic of conversation during Draymond Green’s recent interview on the Boardroom. The four-time NBA champ, who won all of his rings alongside Kerr as his coach, spoke about the Bulls’ legend’s ability to adapt.
“He’s had to change. A lot of people forget, when Steve first came in he was a first time head coach,” stated Green. “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.”
Kerr has been at the helm of the Warriors franchise during its highest point. Sure, having Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and of course Draymond Green helps. But there have been teams with even more talent that never won. The 60-year-old coach is the guru who makes it all work.
Green would then be asked about an area that Kerr has vastly improved on. “His communication,” he replied. “He’s grown so much in his communication or how to communicate with players. How to have tough conversations.”
The four-time All-Star 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 apparent that Kuminga and the Dubs were going to go their separate ways due to contract disputes. However, it now seems to not be the case. “He’s 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 is Steph Curry, Klay Thompson.”
“I’ve watched him put the time in to work at figuring that out. I’ve watched how much he care, how much he come to us, that kind of bridges the gap between him and Kuminga,” mentioned Green, who seemed proud at how Kerr synced 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 the biggest level of star power in basketball. There’s a reason that he was the coach for the 2024 Team USA, and had to make tough decisions like sitting Jayson Tatum and giving more time to guys like Anthony Edwards and Joel Embiid.
And that’s why 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.
