Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he is unfazed by the discussions around his contract situation despite entering into the last year of his agreement.
While talking in a press conference on Monday, the soon-to-be 58-year-old revealed he wants to remain the Warriors’ head coach past the 2023–24 season and is confident that will be the case as the franchise’s hierarchy wants him to remain with the team.
Kerr, who is entering his tenth year as Warriors’ head coach after having joined in 2014, added that he feels great about his position with the team and is not stressed about the thought of an extension.
“Yeah, I feel great about my position here. I want to be here,” Kerr said confidently. “I know Mike [Dunleavy] and Joe [Lacob] want me here, and so I’m very confident something will get done. But I’m not stressed about it at all.
“You know, I’m perfectly capable of coaching whether I have one year left or an extension. Makes no difference. But I fully expect to be here.”
The former Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs guard is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history with a 473-238 win-loss record, and he has led Golden State to six finals in the last nine years, winning four of them.
Kerr also touched on the acquisition of veteran guard Chris Paul following the 38-year-old’s trade to San Francisco in a move that saw fan favourite and Warriors’ draftee Jordan Poole move to the Washington Wizards along with Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins, and two draft picks.
The Warriors’ head coach said he admires the 12-time NBA All-Star for his hardwork, competitiveness and basketball IQ, and also added that he is happy to coach him.
“I really like Chris [Paul] because he likes phone calls and not texts. So Chris is old school. He wants to talk,” Kerr started jokingly. “We’ve had four or five great conversations this summer.
“I remember a few years ago pulling him aside after the Suns beat us in Phoenix, and I told him how much I admired him and his competitiveness and just his basketball intelligence.
“Obviously, we have had a lot of battles over the years. We did have one game together, the 2015 All-Star Game, and I remember him taking over the game in the last five minutes, and our team won. Like, yeah, that guy would be fun to coach.
“So I’m thrilled to coach him. He’s one of the great competitors I’ve ever seen; his command of the game, the way he controls the action. His teams tend to get a great shot possession after possession. He understands what wins,” he concluded.
Golden State will commence the new regular season with a big test against Paul’s former team, the Phoenix Suns, at Chase Center on October 24.
