With Steve Kerr’s future with the Warriors still up in the air, could the outspoken coach finally make the long speculated move from the basketball gymnasium to the political arena?
Despite his frequent use of his platform to weigh in on current events and a personal connection to gun reform, Kerr, 60, has said in the past that he had no interest in running for elected office.
However, that was at the height of the Warriors’ dynasty, when things were more stable.
Kerr’s contract expired after the season and was upfront that he wasn’t sure what his future held. In a wide-ranging Q&A with The New Yorker’s Charles Bethea shortly after the Warriors were eliminated, Kerr made it clear that his unsettled situation hadn’t changed his thoughts on getting into politics.
“I don’t have any desire to go into politics,” Kerr said. “I love basketball. This is my world. All of my friends and my people are in this world. And whether I keep coaching the Warriors or not, I imagine I’ll be involved in basketball.”
While Kerr may not view politics in his future, he did walk back certain comments he made regarding President Trump.
When asked about his infamous “buffoon” comment, Kerr expressed regret in his conversation with Bethea.
“But calling the President a buffoon, I kind of regret that, even though I felt it in my heart. It’s better to point out policy decisions, but also American values. What’s wrong with the things that he does.”
Kerr is expected to meet with general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob in the near future to decide whether he returns for a 13th season to coach Steph Curry and continue their pursuit for a fifth championship together.
Curry said that he wants to play for “multiple” more years, and the Warriors would like Kerr to commit to a multiyear deal and some philosophical changes should he decide to come back, according to ESPN.
As for what his future holds, Kerr didn’t offer many clues. He has had a week to ponder now since he gave the two-hour interview last Monday in his office inside the Warriors’ arena.
Bethea, the interviewer, noted that Kerr “sound[ed] like a guy who wants to come back.”
Kerr responded with a similar answer to the one he gave immediately after the Warriors’ play-in loss to the Suns, when he was asked about walking away from Curry and Draymond Green.
“I don’t want to abandon those guys,” he said. “If Steph and Draymond were retiring this year, I think this would be an easy decision: we all go out together and the organization takes their new path. But it’s not that easy because I think Steph’s going to play another couple of years and I think we can still do some good things together.
“But these are all conversations that will happen in the next week or two and we’ll figure it out. And whatever happens, it’s going to end well. I know that, because it’s too important not to.”