Getty Steve Kerr, Warriors head coach
It is not surprising to hear Warriors star Draymond Green being bluntly honest in his feelings about another player or coach around the NBA. We’re used to that. But it is a bit eye-opening when coach Steve Kerr lets loose with his tongue.
Now, to be clear, Kerr was joking. But he did confirm what most had suspected—that even he was no great fan of star point guard Chris Paul before the stunning trade that brought the future Hall of Famer to the Bay Area in a package highlighted by guard Jordan Poole.
Speaking to ESPN this week ahead of the start of Team USA training camp in Las Vegas—Kerr will coach USA Basketball in this year’s FIBA World Cup tournament—Kerr said of Paul, “We all hated him because we were competing and he was so good. And now, that’s our guy and we love him.”
“We’ve all hated him because we were competing, and he was so good. And now that’s our guy, and we love him.”
Steve Kerr on “joking” with Chris Paul and their relationship.
Warriors Faced Chris Paul 3 Times in Playoffs
The Warriors have certainly had their fill of Paul over the years. In 2014, when Paul was with the Clippers, Golden State’s Steph Curry-Klay Thompson-Green core got its first taste of facing Paul in the playoffs, and lost in the first round.
After that, the Warriors saw Paul twice in the postseason—in the second round in 2019, and the previous year in an epic Western Conference finals series that went seven games. The Warriors won both series, but the 2018 series should have an asterisk because Paul injured his hamstring late in a Game 5 win that put the Rockets ahead, 3-2, in the series.
Paul (who had been averaging 19.8 points) missed Games 6 and 7, both of which the Rockets lost. That cost Houston a trip to the Finals.
As Kerr explained: “One of the funny things about this league is that you compete against people and, especially if you see someone in the playoffs over and over again, like we did with Chris in Houston, then all the sudden you’re teammates or you’re coaching someone, and you laugh at moments like this. You’re at each other’s throats much of your career.
“Reminded me a little bit, when I played, Reggie Miller and I played against each other in college and in the pros as well, and I used to hate Reggie. Like, oh man … but then we became broadcast partners and he became a great friend. I feel like that is how it’s gonna be with Chris.”
Draymond Green Not Forgetting the Hate
While Kerr is willing to put aside past grievance when it comes to Paul, Green, of course, has said he would not be so quick to tuck away his feelings on Paul. Green has said in the past that he especially resented Paul for the way he treated a fellow North Carolina native point guard, Curry, as Curry was coming up and becoming the face of the league.
Green said on the Pat Bev podcast that he expects to work out their differences “like adults.” But he is not going to pretend that his disdain for Paul was not genuine.
“This is real life we living and playing in these games, to just go front and act like all of those things were fake,” Green said. “I’ve publicly said I didn’t like Chris before. I’m just not gonna be like ‘Oh man, that changed, now he my teammate.’ No, I look forward to talking amongst men. I look forward to working with another adult. We’ve had our fair share of days of not working with adults, and people who don’t move like adults. So, I’m looking forward to going to work with an adult.”