'I'm not well enough': Warriors coach Steve Kerr set to miss start of NBA finals

Guardian sport
Updated

  • Coach has been plagued with problems stemming from back surgery

  • Warriors and Cavaliers begin season finale on Thursday in Oakland

Steve Kerr won the NBA title with the Warriors in 2015
Steve Kerr won the NBA title with the Warriors in 2015. Photograph: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

The Golden State Warriors are favorites to win the upcoming NBA finals but it appears they will have to start the best-of-seven series without their coach on the sidelines.

The Warriors face the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the series on Wednesday but Steve Kerr said he has still not fully recovered from the migraines and pain that have plagued him since his back surgery nearly two years ago. “As of right now, I will not coach Thursday night,” Kerr said on Monday. “It’s still up in the air.”

Kerr has been absent from the sidelines for the Warriors since the end of April due to his ailments and he looked in physical discomfort as he took questions from the media in Oakland, the venue for Thursday’s game. “I’m not well enough to coach games, and I know that because I coached all 82 games and I did OK,” Kerr explained. “I was uncomfortable and in a lot of pain, but I did fine. I could make it through. The first two games of the Portland series, whatever happened, things got worse. You saw me in the fourth quarter of Game 2. I could not sit still in my chair. It was that much pain. I would say that I’ve gotten a little bit better. That’s why I’m here talking to you now. But you can probably tell I’m not sitting here happy go lucky.”

The Warriors’ assistant coach, Mike Brown, has stepped up in Kerr’s absence, although he was absent on Monday due to illness. “I told the team the good news is the team is really healthy, but the bad news is the coaching staff is dropping like flies,” Kerr said. “So hopefully Mike will be back tomorrow.”

Kerr was also quick to praise Brown’s contributions during his absence. “I’m taking part in practices, helping with the messaging, taking part in coaching meetings, but I’m not on the sidelines during games. So, he has to make those decisions [during games],” Kerr said. “It’s his team, but he’s also taking my advice and counsel from behind the scenes. It’s not easy, but he’s obviously doing a good job. There seems to be a theme when I’m out. I think the team is like 108 and 2. So, I’m not sure what it is.”

The Warriors and Cavaliers meet for a third straight NBA finals in the coming weeks. The Cavaliers won a thrilling series last season over seven games.