NBA coaches are paid a lot of money, but they also have a very stressful job. They had to manage the egos of 15 players on the roster and deal with the front office’s input and an army of assistant coaches. However, it didn’t take Steve Kerr long to figure out the balance, especially with Stephen Curry.
“It sounds trite, but everybody’s gotta be honest with each other because there’s so many ways that things could go wrong,” Kerr said on the Tom Tolbert Show. “There’s so much BS in the NBA, just the drama and every player is going through stuff. There’s contract stuff, and of course, everyone’s got ambition. If you’re not honest with each other and don’t have real conversations, it’s going to fall apart.”
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“I try to elicit a lot of conversations collectively with the team, and individually with guys. The easiest guys to coach are the ones who are most honest, and Steph comes to mind immediately. There is no BS; everything is very matter-of-fact,” added the multi-titled Golden State Warriors head coach.
Uncompromising
As the former Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs guard said, coaching is an eternal balancing act. Guys like Curry, who have no problem speaking their minds, are the most pleasant to deal with. On the other hand, some guys are naturally introspective, and it would take a lot to get them to open up. Nonetheless, coaches had to do what they needed to reach them.
However, before dealing with guys individually, a coach must know how to draw the line as far as his philosophy is concerned.
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“You have to differentiate what’s non-negotiable and what’s negotiable. To me, all the basketball stuff is negotiable… You go in with an idea, but you got 15 players, and these days, 15 coaches. You got ownership, front offices, everybody is chiming in. And so, there’s a lot of compromise that goes into the basketball stuff,” Kerr stated.
The former Arizona Wildcat believes in a collaborative environment regarding basketball Xs and Os. He encourages player feedback, especially on the defensive end, and keeps an open door for suggestions from his assistants that could elevate the game plan. For Kerr, this part of coaching is more of an art than a science, which means there is no one way to approach it.
On the other end of the spectrum, however, there are times when he needs to take his foot off the gas, no questions asked.
“I think you have to be non-negotiable on your values and what’s important to you in terms of how the whole thing is gonna run. You gotta know how this whole thing is gonna operate. It doesn’t mean you don’t give guys leeway, but the players know what’s non-negotiable. They feel that just the way we treat them and the way we handle our business,” said Kerr.
Steph sets the tone
For Kerr, honesty is the anchor that stabilizes the team. Without it, there’s no culture, trust, or way to survive the chaos of an NBA season. With so many moving parts in an NBA locker room, there’s no time for passive-aggressive behavior or hidden agendas. That’s why he leans into open conversations, expects straight answers, and builds trust from the top down.
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The two-time MVP made that easier. Kerr doesn’t have to decode motives or read between the lines with his superstar. His transparency makes everything run smoother, from game plans to locker room dynamics. If Kerr needs an example of how the system should work, he doesn’t have to look far.