The Golden State Warriors got to the conference finals, but the road there was not as easy as it appeared.
Against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Dubs never trailed in the series, but they were meant by several obstacles along the way. In Game 1, Draymond Green was ejected in the first half for a Flagrant-2 foul, but the Dubs managed to escape with a one-point victory. Gary Payton II broke his wrist after taking a hard foul by Dillion Brooks in Game 2.
After all that, the Dubs lost head coach Steve Kerr after he tested positive for COVID. He went on to miss the final three games in the series. As coach since 2014, Kerr has been an integral part of how the Warriors function throughout the decade.
“I was feeling symptoms on the drive over to Game 4,” Kerr said with the media on May 15. “We have had a couple of internal cases with staff members and I just felt like I better test. If ii ever pass this over to the team, I won’t forgive myself. So, I got tests and it was positive.”
Kerr shares details of being placed in health and safety protocols ahead of Game 4
Kerr mentioned he had minor symptoms like a cough and some congestion, but it was mostly the fact he did not want to get the team—especially the players—sick, so he decided to get a test for confirmation.
The head coach cleared COVID protocols and was back with the team May 15, ahead of Game 7 between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns. The winner of that game would play the Warriors starting May 18.
Steve Kerr Raves About the Job Mike Brown Did in His Absence
Once Kerr’s test results came back positive, associate head coach Mike Brown was thrust into the head coaching spotlight just before Game 4 tipped off.
Kerr talked about his appreciation for having Brown step in on such short notice and helping guide the team for the remainder of the series.
“Mike [Brown] was fantastic…what a difficult spot to be put in. Especially given, he had just been hired by Sacramento…He’s got enough on his plate anyway, our defensive coordinator. For me to show up two hours before the game, and show up positive and leave, it put a lot of pressure on Mike and the staff.”
Kerr praised Mike Brown for stepping in during the Warriors-Grizzlies series
Brown is no stranger to this arrangement. He helped guide the Warriors to a 12-0 record during the 2016-17 playoffs, while Kerr was dealing with a back injury. As Kerr mentioned, Brown was hired by the Sacramento Kings to be the head coach next season. All of this happened within a 24-hour span, so Brown had a lot going on for him.
Kerr Talks About His Hilarious Experience Watching Game 6 at Home
Just moments after the Warriors finished off the Grizzlies in Game 6, the normally private Kerr’s wife came with a surprise.
Steve Kerr’s wife, Margot, tweets: “I never want to watch an NBA game with my husband again!”
Kerr must have been intense while watching his team from the couch at home. Maybe not to the point he was breaking clipboards, but it was definitely too much for his wife to deal with as she walked away.
“She sat there for two minutes, and announced she was going to head downstairs and watch the Kardashians instead,” Kerr says while laughing. “It was a good arrangement, like all good marriages you know when to be together and when to give each other space.”
Steve Kerr and his wife, Margot, started watching Game 6 together but it didn’t last long 😂
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