Steve Kerr Downplays Email Leak From Warriors Owner: "Not A Big Deal"

It’s not a good sign for an NBA squad if an email exchange between a fan and the team owner gets leaked to the internet; however, if you ask Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, that hardly counts as a pressing concern.

On Tuesday, netizens got wind of an interaction that was triggered by an angry Golden State supporter, who pleaded with Warriors owner Joe Lacob to “do something about this team.” Lacob’s reply was quite telling, as it strongly implies that Kerr is in his crosshairs.

“You can’t be as frustrated as me,” Lacob said in his email response to the fan. “I am working on it. It’s complicated. Style of play. Coaches' desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy is not the problem.”

While it’s possible that Lacob is referring to one or more of the assistants on the Warriors bench, there’s no denying that the part about “coaches' desires regarding players” is aimed at Kerr, one way or another. For his part, Kerr downplayed the magnitude of the email leak from his team owner.

“Not a big deal,” Kerr said shortly after Lacob’s email got circulated. “Imagine if everyone’s emails were posted publicly, how tough that would be to live.”

Over the past 10 years, Kerr has played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Warriors' dynasty. By employing a fast-paced, small-ball approach that facilitates outside shooting, he has effectively harnessed the talents of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and ex-Warriors star Klay Thompson to bring four NBA titles to the Bay Area.

While Kerr’s system caught fire and inspired replicas across the league, other teams have found success playing with a combination of size and skill. The Warriors’ 2022 title campaign is sandwiched between dominant runs by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks and Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets.

For the past few seasons, Golden State has not had a big man even close to the talent level of those two superstars. Just as the Warriors fan pointed out to Lacob via email, the frontcourt has been a recurring problem for the team as “league trends” have started favoring bigs once again.

At 13–14, the Warriors are still in good shape to make the playoffs outright. However, Lacob (just like the myriad of Warriors fans across the globe) is cognizant of the glaring areas for improvement that are currently hindering this team from serious title contention.

Kerr, of course, will continue to tinker with his system in the hopes of getting better results. He’s confident, however, that he’s still in the good favor of Warriors management amidst these tough times.

“Joe supports me. I support him,” Kerr told reporters.