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Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, right, has continually had former head coaches as assistants, including Kenny Atkinson, left. He and other first-time coaches said it’s key when having no previous experience. (Abbie Parr / Associated Press)
On Sept. 30, 2104, Steve Kerr presided over his first practice as the head coach of an NBA team. Kerr was now the man in charge of the Golden State Warriors, a job he took without the benefit of any previous coaching experience.
Kerr looked out before him and saw the faces of stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green staring back at him, waiting for the newbie to put his coaching plan in place on that initial day.
“It was a little bit of a s— show, to be honest. I had these plans with the coaching staff beforehand, but it was like the first day of school, only I was a brand new teacher,” Kerr, laughing, recalled about his first day coaching the Warriors. “You have to get through the bumps in the road and iron things out. But I remember the first two days were a little chaotic. I was trying to do a lot of things. I quickly realized that you don’t have nearly as enough time as you thought you would to address every issue. And that’s a big part of it.”
If JJ Redick gets the Lakers’ head coaching job that seems destined to become his, according to people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, having the right staff will be beneficial since he has no coaching experience.
Kerr won five NBA championships as a player. He became a minority owner of the Suns upon retiring, then the president of basketball operations and general manager of the team. He left that post and to join TNT as an analyst until leaving that job in 2014 to become coach of the Warriors.
What he quickly learned during the early practice sessions and in games throughout his maiden voyage as a coach was to lean on his highly capable and experienced staff.
Read more: JJ Redick gets his shot with in-person Lakers interview this weekend
Kerr turned to former coach Alvin Gentry and Ron Adams, considered the savant of assistant coaches at the time in the NBA, for advice.
“I was lucky I had…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jj-redick-faces-hes-next-205209148.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-06-15 20:52:09
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