Steve Kerr has been a part of some of the best dynasties in NBA history. Of course, he won three straight championships with the Chicago Bulls in 1996, 1997, and 1998 as their dynasty came to a close. He then added two more at the start of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty in 1999 and 2003.
Kerr has now had the opportunity to coach a dynasty, winning four championships between 2015 and 2022 with the Golden State Warriors.
Kerr explained how different dynasties have come to an end and how he wants the Warriors to go out while appearing on the Audacy Sports Podcast “The TK Show” this week.
“There’s no recipe for how to end it. These things all end however they end. In the Bulls' case, it was ‘Alright, everybody’s a free agent, see ya later’ and it was over,” Kerr said. “In San Antonio’s case, they found a way to revive it, win another title, and then guys ended up retiring and now they’ve been in a situation where they haven’t made the playoffs in a few years. So you can describe it however you want.”
The Bulls won six championships in a nine-year span while the Spurs won five over the course of 15 years. San Antonio was able to add a ring in 2014 after a six-year drought.
The Warriors are teetering on the end of their dynasty and while it may not be easy to face reality, he knows how he wants his guys to go out.
“I think what’s important to me is that our guys do it the right way,” said Kerr. “With dignity. With grace. I understand that we haven’t always done that.
“There have been moments where – with Draymond the incident with Jordan (Poole) last year. That’s not dignified. Obviously. The stuff that happened early in the season.”
Draymond Green is a polarizing figure around the league and even in Golden State. Ultimately, though, Kerr believes in the embattled veteran.
“So a part of my conversations with Draymond were ‘You owe it to yourself but also to the franchise to do this the right way. To go out competing as best you can. Be the best version of yourself. Lead the younger guys. Teach them what being a pro is about,’” Kerr recalled. “And he responded beautifully. In the whole second half of the season, I thought he was amazing. I thought he played well. I thought he handled himself well. Took on a leadership role. And it was fun to watch.”
The Warriors missed the playoffs this year for the third time in the past five seasons, but they battled to the end and earned a spot in the play-in tournament.
“Yeah, we didn’t [make the playoffs], and that’s part of it. But I’m really proud of the ways Draymond and Klay handled themselves in the second half,” Kerr said. “I’m proud of the team for making the push they did, but this is the reality of father time catching up and this is the way pro sports works. Whether it’s the end of our run or whether we have a little bit of time left – which we’re hoping –, we are where we are and not much is going to change that.”
Klay Thompson is set to hit free agency this summer while Steph Curry (2026) and Draymond Green (2027) have a few more years left on their deals. Kerr himself recently signed a two-year extension through the end of the 2026 season as well.
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