SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he apologized to forward Draymond Green on Wednesday, in the wake of the pair exchanging heated words during Monday’s win over the Orlando Magic and Green leaving the bench for the majority of the third quarter. Kerr said he feels the air is cleared for his team after the latest high-profile incident with Green.
“We talked today, we had a great chat,” Kerr said after Wednesday’s practice. “Frankly, Monday night was not my finest hour. And that was a time I needed to be calm in the huddle. So I regret my actions in that exchange and I apologized to Dray (Green). He apologized to me. We both apologized to the team. These things, they happen, especially when you get two incredibly competitive people like Dray and me. So over the 12 years we’ve been together, this has happened occasionally, and I’m not proud of it.”
Green said after Monday’s game that the argument amounted to “basketball.”
“That’s what we do. We play basketball. It’s an emotional game. People lose their emotions sometimes. It happens. It is what it is. We’ve been at this now for a long time. So sometimes, you’re with people for a long time, there’s a level of comfort, and s— happens. We move forward.”
Kerr is always more open in his commentary than many of his peers, but Wednesday’s tenor was different. The veteran coach was even more reflective than usual after the Christmas Eve practice, acknowledging that the Warriors are not what they once were — but they remain optimistic they can make one more run towards another championship. It was one of the most revealing media sessions a coach will offer over the course of a season. Kerr wasn’t just reflective about the dustup with Green; he was honest about his team’s place in the league after so many years riding on top.
“We are no longer the ’17 Warriors dominating the league,” Kerr said. “We are a fading dynasty. We know that. Everybody knows that. So what is up to us? How do we carry ourselves night to night? How connected are we? And can we give ourselves another swing at the plate? … We know where we are. We’ve got to know who we are. We got to know what’s possible and we have to take pride in the struggle because this is part of life.”
Kerr repeatedly praised Green and the relationship the pair has built over Kerr’s 12 seasons as coach of the Warriors. Kerr also reiterated what he’s said many times — that this iteration of the Warriors wouldn’t have four championship rings without the passion Green provides.
“I care so much about Draymond and the relationship we have is like family,” Kerr said. “And like family, you go through ups and downs. My number one goal, honestly, is for him to finish his career as a Warrior with us fighting, metaphorically, not literally, fighting and competing together until we’re both gone. And I believe that’s going to happen because I believe in Draymond and I believe in myself and I believe in everything we’ve built for 12 years.”
Kerr is confident that Green will do whatever he can to help the team and the group will be able to put the latest incident behind them as they get ready to face former teammate Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks on Christmas Day.
“We had a great chat,” Kerr said. “I’m not gonna share the details, but I can tell you this: I’m expecting the very best version of Draymond tomorrow. I know exactly who he is, he’s a winner, he’s a champion. He’s the most passionate, competitive person I’ve ever met. And that can get the best of him, and it can get the best of me. And that’s what happened the other night.”
Other insights from Kerr’s news conference
Here are the other key parts of Kerr’s illuminating 15-minute press conference. The questions and answers have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. In a season that has featured so many ups and downs already for the Warriors, Kerr’s ability to answer the questions directly, while also being honest about his team’s past, present and future, was fascinating to watch and listen to in real time. Each answer had the kind of depth that most coaches wouldn’t dare offer, especially after the kind of blowup Kerr and Green were a part of on Monday night.
On his discussion with the rest of the group
I talked to the team. Draymond talked to the team. We both apologized for what transpired. It was not a good look. It was on me as the coach to recognize the circumstances and I did not do that, I let my emotions get the best of me and it was not my finest hour. But I also know exactly who Draymond is and exactly who I am. We want the exact same thing. And that’s a good thing. And I think we’re gonna be fine. We’re gonna move forward from here and I’m excited about what’s ahead.
Does Kerr think Green wants to finish his career as a Warrior?
Hell yeah. One of the things I love about Draymond is his loyalty. I talk to Tom Izzo a lot. I talked to him the last couple of days. And Draymond’s loyalty for Tom and his affection for his alma mater is one of my favorite things about him. We’ve been on the plane before where Michigan State is on Draymond’s phone playing a game. And I know that they just lost because I hear Draymond, like, screaming. Or I know that they just won. And I love that about him. He’s a loyal guy. He’s loyal to the Warriors.
He’s loyal to me, loyal to Steph (Curry). He wants to be here his whole career. I want nothing more than that. I love Draymond. And I love everything he’s meant to me and to the organization and to the Bay. He’s a complicated guy. He’ll be the first to admit that. He’s very complex. But he is undyingly loyal, and passionate, and I will go to bat for him as long as I’m coaching him here. Honestly, I would go to bat for him 20 years from now when we haven’t been together because that’s how strongly I feel about him. And that’s how I want this thing to end — with us. Whenever that is.
How do you turn moments like these into positives instead of something that may spiral?
There’s a long history of that here because we understand each other and I understand his power. We have four banners out there and obviously, a lot of people played important roles in them, but I’ve said this before and I truly believe it, I don’t think we have any without Draymond. That’s how much he impacts winning. So his ability to channel that passion, that emotion, that raw rage that he has, is a key component to what makes us successful. And what I said about the other night, I didn’t channel my own raw emotion and rage, of which there is plenty. We are far more alike than anyone would ever realize.
This is not totally uncommon. I would say this hasn’t happened in a few years, this kind of a divide, and a blowup, but in our 12 years together it’s not the first time. And we’ve always, always found a way to not only bounce back, but to make strides as a result.
Does Kerr feel like the air within the team is cleared now?
I do. I think there’s always going to be dynamics within a team, within every team that exists all season long, and it’s the coach’s job, and it’s the leaders of the team on the roster’s job, to help guys through those circumstances. So we have issues just like every other team has issues, but we have to work through them. And I believe that this was a major step in that happening. And I feel real good about where our team is on the floor, about where we’re heading. I see the potential to do exactly what we did last year to really go on a run and give ourselves a chance. Where we are as a team, as an organization, most important thing for me is for guys to recognize that there’s beauty in the struggle. There’s beauty in what we’re trying to accomplish right now.
… I was really proud of the team last year, despite the loss against Minnesota, the injury to Steph, who knows how far we would have gone, but we gave ourselves a chance. And that’s the goal here.
You mentioned the ’17 Warriors — on that team Draymond’s uniqueness was a crucial element of that group’s success. At this stage of his career, how often will you see that best version of Draymond, given some of the bumps he’s already experienced this year?
One of the things I love about Draymond is he knows where he is right now. He’s told me “I know I’m not the same player I was eight years ago. And two years from now I’m not gonna be the same guy I am now. So I know I have to play the role that’s best for the team and best for me now.”
When I think of his words when he says that, what comes to mind for me is where the rest of the league is, too, compared to 2017. It’s not just we’re all older and we have a different set of circumstances within our own team. The league is dramatically different. Faster, more three, more athleticism. Young teams are more dangerous than ever cause of the pace. So for me that means, as a coach, I have to help the team play the way we need to play in those circumstances.
That may mean taking Draymond off the ball. If somebody’s gonna put their best wing, young defender on him to get underneath the dribble, then I got to get him in the corner and let Jimmy (Butler) and Steph and others operate on the ball, and Dray has been working hard on his corner 3-point shooting the last couple years. This is part of our collective ability or awareness that we have to adapt to the modern game, to our circumstances, to being older, to the way teams are playing against us. All of that stuff is in this pot that we’re mixing up, trying to figure this out.
Would you ever consider moving Draymond to the bench like you did with Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson?
He would do it. He’s told me. He told me this year, I’ll go to the bench if you need me to. I know what Draymond’s about, he’s about winning. That’s not even a consideration for me right now because I’m really excited about this starting lineup: Steph, Draymond, Moses (Moody), QP (Quinten Post), Jimmy (Butler). I think it’s a great starting lineup for us because we get the size and shooting of Quinten next to Dray, which takes the pressure off of him, and Dray is at his best next to Steph. So he should play most of his minutes next to Steph. Those two guys are incredible together.
So the idea of bringing him off the bench, I understand it in theory like, “Maybe we could get this or get that.” Trust me, that’s all we do as a staff is think about this stuff all day long. And we’ve had every discussion about how to make our team the best. I’m convinced it’s what we’re doing right now.
Is there a certain amount of minutes you want Draymond to play at the 5?
It’s game by game, but starting Quinten just allows us to set a tone. Quinten’s got the big guy, Draymond, you’re the 4. Teams are often putting their small guys on Quinten anyway, which puts Dray in the pick-and-roll on offense. We saw this last year, our last 30 games, we found a really good combination of Jimmy, Steph and running our offense through each of them at different times. But what we did differently last year is we played Dray at the 5.
So as much as I would love to play that five-man group, with BP (Brandin Podziemski) and Moses, we can do that for a handful of minutes a night, but we’re trying to accomplish quite a few things all at once and it’s not easy. But it’s really important to me that Steph and Dray play together and that we start big next to Dray. And I think what you’re seeing the last couple games, we’re getting more consistent with our rotation pattern behind that group, and that’s where I think this thing is heading.
Was there any thought about a fine for Draymond after he left the bench?
No. No, I was very much at fault for what happened the other night. So there’s no need to even discuss anything like that.