Steve Kerr Nearly Left the Warriors for an Overseas Coaching Job Before Re-Signing

According to reports from L’Equipe, Kerr and his wife spent much of their Olympic stay exploring Paris, falling in love with the city’s atmosphere, restaurants, museums, and slower pace of life. That experience eventually led to renewed conversations with Kahn, whom Kerr has known for nearly two decades, dating back to their days as NBA executives.

Additionally, the two met privately during the Olympics, where Kahn openly told Kerr the coaching job would be available whenever he wanted it. The four-time NBA champion coach admitted the idea genuinely appealed to him.

Still, Golden State’s veteran core ultimately changed everything. Kahn later admitted it would have been “irresponsible” not to pursue someone of Kerr’s stature, calling the potential move something that would have had a “seismic impact” on both Paris Basketball and the EuroLeague.

Steve Kerr Summed Up Warriors Off-Season Expectations 

The gap between the Warriors and the NBA’s new Western Conference powers has never looked wider than it does right now. 

And according to Steve Kerr, there is no quick fix on the horizon.

Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area two weeks ago, Kerr admitted the Warriors are approaching this offseason with a far more realistic mindset after a disappointing 37-45 campaign that ended in the Play-In Tournament.

“I don’t think it’s worth sitting here trying to figure out right now how we’re going to compete with San Antonio and OKC,” Kerr said. “These teams are young and athletic and playing at a really high level.”

Golden State dealt with major injury problems throughout the year, particularly after losing Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to season-ending injuries. 

But even beyond health concerns, Kerr seemed to acknowledge that the current roster simply was not built to seriously contend with the West’s emerging giants.