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“Great to Be Back”: Steve Kerr Opens Up on His Reunion With Kevin Durant at Team USA

Published 07/23/2021, 10:52 PM EDT

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Very few teams have been able to assert themselves as historic sides in as short a span of time as the Golden State Warriors. Under Steve Kerr, the Warriors were practically unbeatable from 2015-2019. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green; the list goes on. Golden State undoubtedly created a fond era in American basketball. And now, Steve Kerr has reunited with Durant ahead of the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Kerr-Durant duo was a legion of doom

In the span of five years, the Warriors snatched three NBA Championships, and finished runners-up in the other two. They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers en route to all three titles. Steve Kerr built a Warriors team that was structured around the attack. Precise shooting from outside the zone and a wide defense were hallmarks of Kevin Durant’s side under Steve Kerr.

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The experienced GSW coach had players with untapped potential. Kevin Durant was also arguably part of that list, as he had room to reach greater heights. Under Kerr, he flourished and how! Durant improved on his ball handling, speed, and stability to shoot with rapid effect. In the five golden years for Golden State, ‘KD’ was part of three seasons. And in those three seasons, the 32-year-old thumped in nearly 5,500 points in the regular season alone.

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The Warriors head coach feels ‘great’ to be back with Kevin Durant

Steve Kerr is an assistant coach with the men’s US national side. With Durant being part of the USA squad, a meeting between the two was imminent. And ahead of the Olympic Games, Kerr exclaimed that he has been enjoying his time with the Brooklyn Nets star.

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“It’s great to be back with Kevin, we’re having lot of fun. It was an amazing experience to coach him for three years in Golden State. He’s one of the most incredible players in the history of the game, so to be back with him, it’s been fun” admitted Kerr.

The 55-year-old mentioned that such reunions do not happen often, but are priceless. “These sort of relationships just last a long time, and they come and go at the same time. So it’s an interesting dynamic, but I’m having great fun coaching Kevin.”

via Getty

The US national side will be the favorites to bring home another gold medal for their country. Despite producing some rusty performances in the buildup to the tournament, Kevin Durant will be hoping to find his touch and bring about a change of fortunes for his side.

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Written by:

Sankalp Harikrishnan

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Sankalp Harikrishnan is a tennis and NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He aspires to pursue Sports Journalism and has represented his institution in cricket, badminton, football, and table tennis. Apart from his professional desires, Sankalp does voluntary service with his friends to feed hungry animals on a regular basis.
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