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Magic Johnson Sends Strong Message on Steve Kerr Amid Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated May 7, 2025 5:40 PM ET

The Golden State Warriors' playoff series just took an unexpected turn.

Golden State will be competing without All-Star guard Stephen Curry after he sustained a hamstring injury in Game 1 of the series.

Curry missed a large portion of the team's Game 1 matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite his absence, the Warriors defeated Minnesota 99-88, giving themselves a 1-0 series lead.

After the win over Minnesota, NBA legend Magic Johnson shared his thoughts on the Warriors, sharing high praise for head coach Steve Kerr.

Before mentioning that Golden State is the "smartest" team in the NBA, Johnson labeled Kerr as the "best coach in the league."

"Jimmy Butler led the Warriors with 20 points and 11 rebounds while Buddy Hield added 24 points to take Game 1 over the Timberwolves 99-88," Johnson said. "What makes the Warriors so tough is they have the best coach in the league, Steve Kerr, and he showed that last night with his offensive and defensive game plans. The Warriors are also the smartest team in the NBA with the highest basketball IQ and leaders Steph, Draymond and Jimmy. This is why they beat the Timberwolves last night!"

Jimmy Butler led the Warriors with 20 points and 11 rebounds while Buddy Held added 24 points to take Game 1 over the Timberwolves 99-88. What makes the Warriors so tough is they have the best coach in the league, Steve Kerr, and he showed that last night with his offensive and…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 7, 2025

Steve Kerr led the Golden State Warriors to a first-round victory over the Houston Rockets, the No. 2 team in the West.

Now, the No. 7-seeded Warriors put themselves in a comfortable position in the second round, stealing home-court advantage from Minnesota.

Kerr and the Warriors will look to take a 2-0 series lead on Thursday, when Golden State faces the Timberwolves at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Kerr has been with the Golden State Warriors since 2014. During his time as the head coach of the organization, Kerr has won four NBA titles and was previously named the Coach of the Year in 2016.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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