Steve Kerr returned to the Golden State Warriors sidelines for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and now that he’s back, he has no intention of going anywhere.
Per the Bay Area News Group’s Anthony Slater:
Steve Kerr said the intention is to coach through the rest of The Finals.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 4, 2017
This was always Kerr’s plan. He didn’t want to be a distraction, returning only to leave yet again. The implication is that he’s feeling better—or at least as good as he’s felt since the start of the season:
Steve Kerr said he feels his health is back to the baseline level he coached all 82 games this season before it worsened in 1st round.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 4, 2017
This is good news, and yet entirely ominous at the same time. It means Kerr is still experiencing some degree of pain, which is never a good thing. It seems that it’s manageable enough for him to continue coaching, but who knows what it could take to aggravate it.
The Warriors are a well-oiled machine, so this doesn’t really matter. If Kerr, despite his intention, isn’t able to stay on the sidelines they will be just fine.
But the thought of Kerr having to live with day-to-day pain is upsetting. His plan, as he’s said before, is to coach a long time. But will his back pain, stemming from the aftereffects of surgery, ever subside? Or will he continue working in spite of constant discomfort?
For his sake, hopefully it’s not the former. His life, away from the game, is the foremost concern. That he’s back on the sidelines at all is a big deal—a clear step in the right direction. The Warriors and himself—and, yes, the rest of us—can only hope there’s more improvement and, perhaps, a cure to what ails him in the long run.
