Why Warriors fans should be grateful Steve Kerr chose to return

Steve Kerr has seen and heard it all. That includes the white-knuckled chants calling for him to be fired or retire. So, how should Warriors fans feel about Kerr’s decision to return as Golden State’s coach?They should be thanking their lucky stars. We all know that Kerr helped transform the Warriors into the league’s modern day dynasty, winning four championships over eight years from 2015-2022. But let’s take a second to think about what that entailed. He was smart enough to allow Curry to shoot from anywhere, which forever changed the game of basketball. He was genuine enough to gain the respect of Draymond Green, who trusted him so much that they could share heated words and then Kerr could turn around and guide Green during his most vulnerable moments. He was skilled enough to unlock the team’s role players, including helping Andre Iguodala become the 2015 Finals MVP.Has Kerr had missteps? Absolutely.Was the denigration of his relationship with Jonathan Kuminga unfortunate? Sure, and he’s the first to admit that.

Have some of his lineup changes been questionable? Absolutely. But overall, Kerr is one of the best coaches the NBA has seen. He’s smart.He has a special way of getting through to players.

And he’s deeply competitive. Kerr’s superpower is he can relate to anyone on the roster, players one through 15.He knows what it takes to be a role player after winning five championships alongside such names as Michael Jordan, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. He learned how to sacrifice.

And he learned how to stand up for himself.(Remember when he shoved Jordan in the chest during a very intense scrimmage and then took a punch from the megastar?)The Warriors quickly transformed into a dynasty after Kerr took over the helm in May 2014, winning their first championship in 2015.

The following season, they finished with the best record in NBA history, winning 73 games before blowing a 3-1 series lead in the Finals against the Cavalier...