During a high-stakes game against the Boston Celtics, a tense moment unfolded between Golden State Warriors HC Steve Kerr and star guard Stephen Curry. In a rare public display of frustration, Kerr yelled at Curry following a bad pass, which led to a turnover for the Warriors. Draymond Green, however, believes that Kerr’s frustration at Curry is very important for the rest of the league to note.
Green took to his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, to talk about the incident in detail. He revealed how Kerr yelling at Stephen Curry mid-game wasn’t just about correcting a mistake. While Green was cautious about Curry’s response to the frustration expressed by Kerr, he saw a surprisingly calm Curry.
When you see Steph Curry get cussed out like that, and he just, like – no real reaction… It sends a message to everyone and, more importantly, who else it sends a message to. Which I think is even more important than sending a message to players. It sends a message to the rest of the coaches – coach, coach, coach.
Draymond Green said on his podcast
“When you see Steph Curry get cussed out… it sends a message to everyone”@Money23Green tells @BaronDavis how he reacted to Steve Kerr yelling at Steph Curry during the Warriors-Celtics game pic.twitter.com/ZHWjyrITcy
— The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis (@DraymondShow) November 15, 2024
Draymond Green’s comments revealed a public secret that makes the Warriors’ team culture unique. For Curry, being called out wasn’t about hurting his personal pride. He remained locked in and did what was best for the team. This allowed him to take over in the big moments of the game down the stretch against the defending champions Boston Celtics.
As for Steve Kerr, his anger at Curry wasn’t a moment of frustration for the sake of it. It was about accountability. If a coach can challenge someone like Stephen Curry, one of the most decorated players in NBA history, then every player on the roster knows they’re equally accountable.
Steve Kerr’s ‘Coaching’ message to the league picked by JJ Redick
The philosophy of holding superstars accountable isn’t unique to Steve Kerr. Lakers HC JJ Redick recently demonstrated a similar approach in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. After LeBron James nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the first quarter, Redick called out James and rookie Dalton Knecht for a missed defensive coverage that led to an easy Grizzlies bucket earlier in the game.
LeBron James initially seemed reluctant to engage in the conversation as he walked away from Redick. However, Redick’s willingness to call out even the most celebrated player on the team is a necessary part of coaching high-level championship rosters. His boldness in holding James and the team accountable has been a defining feature of his early coaching success.
The ability to hold stars accountable like Steve Kerr and JJ Redick is an extremely important part of the modern NBA. Accountability matters, regardless of star power. Holding players like Stephen Curry and LeBron James to the same standards as their teammates, allows the roster to come together better as a team. As Draymond Green said, more coaches across the league need to focus on holding their stars accountable.
