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Imago

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Imago

The Golden State Warriors’ season has been filled with turbulence. Among the dozens of stories, one that took the fanbase by storm was when head coach Steve Kerr was seen visibly frustrated with rookie forward Will Richard after a turnover went out of bounds, with many pointing out that guard Brandin Podziemski was to blame. Now, coach Kerr seems to have changed his opinion.

“I blamed the wrong guy on that one,” Kerr admitted during an appearance on Willard and Dibs. “I was upset about Will’s two turnovers in a row because he had gotten a foul for a push-off just before. But just the angle that I had from the bench… I thought he could have saved that ball, and then I saw it on tape. I thought he could have just corralled it.”

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Kerr revealed that, after reviewing the footage on his end, he realized that Podziemski’s pass had put the play in jeopardy. He explicitly said during his appearance that the failed play was “Brandin’s fault.”

The incident occurred during a 107-110 loss to the New York Knicks, and the TV mics even caught him telling Richard that “the ball matters,” and that ball security is “everything.”

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That was just one of 18 turnovers that night, and Kerr later admitted his frustration was an extension of what happened throughout the game. The Knicks scored 24 points in the second quarter, half of which were scored directly off the nine Warriors turnovers.

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“I probably took it out on Will when I should have taken it out on the whole team,” Kerr said. “I acknowledged it at halftime. I actually showed it to the guys yesterday before the Washington game. I said, ‘Hey, I want to show one clip from last night,’ and I showed it. Everybody kind of started chuckling, and I just said, ‘What kind of idiot coach would blame this guy for the turnover?'”

Steve Kerr Explains Emotional Outbursts While Defending Coaching Approach

Steve Kerr didn’t mince words when talking about his approach towards coaching. He openly admitted during his appearance on Willard and Dibs that his outbursts are “infrequent, but enough to get their attention,” while adding that the emotion is part of holding players accountable.

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USA Today via Reuters

“I played for guys with great character and conviction, and they all had tempers that could put some fear in you,” Kerr said, referring to his playing days. “I knew [Gregg Popovich] and Phil [Jackson] and Lenny Wilkins and Coach [Lute] Olsen. I knew they all loved me. I think that’s a really important balance. You’ve got to keep them on edge, but they have to know you love them.”

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In the end, the moment with Richard and Podziemski shows both sides of Kerr’s approach. He’s still someone who cares immensely about how his team performs and demands precision from his players, but is willing to admit when he’s wrong.

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