Kerr offers heartfelt reflection on 500th NBA coaching win

Kerr offers heartfelt reflection on 500th NBA coaching win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Despite reaching a huge coaching milestone with the Warriors' 140-137 victory over the Utah Jazz on Feb. 15, Steve Kerr wasn't feeling too sentimental about his 500th career win.

“I didn’t spend a whole lot of time reflecting on it because it’s just a number, but the thoughts that come to mind are how lucky I am to be coaching this organization with these players,” Kerr told reporters after Warriors practice on Wednesday. “To have my first coaching job to be with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond [Green] and the whole group ... more than anything it’s just really good fortune to have found myself in a phenomenal organization with great talent and a lot of great coaches by my side over the years.

"So, it’s kind of crazy that here we are 10 years in, but yeah very fortunate to be part of all of this.”

With 500 regular-season wins in only 764 games, Kerr joins an elite list of coaches who have accomplished the feat in such a short timeframe. Only Phil Jackson (682), Pat Riley (684), K.C. Jones (731) and Gregg Popovich (745) have reached the 500-win threshold in fewer games than the Warriors coach.

Kerr also is second on Golden State's all-time wins list, trailing only the legendary Alvin Attles (557 wins).

While Kerr had a solid NBA career as a player, he had no experience as a head coach when the Warriors hired him out of the TNT booth in May of 2014. His background as an offensive-minded sharpshooter proved to be a big positive for Golden State though as the offense exploded upon his arrival, with Curry turning into one of the greatest scorers in league history, winning two NBA MVP awards.

Kerr and the Warriors have been on an incredible run of success over the past 10 seasons, winning four NBA titles and appearing in six NBA Finals, but there have plenty of down moments as well. This season has been particularly challenging for them, with a litany of injuries and Green’s multiple suspensions leading to mediocre on-court performances.

As the team makes its second-half push to secure a playoff berth, the Warriors sit one game over .500 at 27-26 and are on the fringe of postseason contention. While they have been playing a lot better in recent weeks, going 8-2 before the All-Star break, this upcoming stretch of games will be pivotal.

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