Kerr plans to coach Warriors 'for a long time'
The Golden State Warriors know Steve Kerr will coach next season. The NBA championship-winning boss plans on sticking around much longer than that.
After Golden State general manager Bob Myers said he fully expects Kerr to be in charge in 2017-18, the Warriors head coach said he is "planning to coach for a long time" on Wednesday.
Kerr – who has been dealing with chronic back issues – said he knows how fortunate he is to coach "a group of players this talented who are together in their primes" following their 4-1 NBA Finals win over defending champions the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"It's so rare so I know exactly how lucky I am," Kerr told ESPN. "I love it, I love the group, I love coaching them every day, and this is what I want to do for a long time. That's the plan, so I just got to keep pushing forward."
As for a possible White House visit for the new NBA champions, Kerr said the unsubstantiated Tuesday report saying the Warriors unanimously voted following the game to decline an invitation from President Donald Trump was false.
"We haven't even gotten that far and all those reports are false," Kerr said. "It may be that a couple of players have been asked about it. I think Andre [Iguodala] and Draymond [Green] may have been asked about it, and David West.
"We never had any discussion about it either during the season — that obviously would have been premature, that'd be bad karma to talk about that. But after the game that's the last thing on our minds. We're just trying to celebrate and enjoy everything.
"I'm picturing this scene where I go in and say, 'Hey everybody, everyone be quiet, let's take a vote on whether we want to go to the White House.' Are you insane? That's not going to happen. We're having too much fun for that."
Kerr has been extremely critical of Trump. Iguodala, Green and West have also expressed their displeasure with the president.
On Wednesday, Steph Curry said he probably would not visit the White House if the team were invited.
Iguodala joked Tuesday there might even be a different president in the White House if and when that invite does come.
"There's a respect for the institution, for the office; there's a respect for our government that I think you have to take into account, regardless of people's opinions of the person sitting in that chair," Kerr said. "I think it's important, but it's also important for the players because it's really about them to make the decision whether they want to go or not."