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Warriors GM reveals Steve Kerr still isn't healthy

Published Jun. 28, 2016 2:45 p.m. ET

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Andrew Lynch

When the Golden State Warriors lost Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Steve Kerr tried to put things in perspective.

According to the Warriors coach, there was no grand life lesson to be learned from the failure. Basketball is simply a game -- one that Kerr loves, sure, but a game nonethless. Unfortunately, Kerr knows all too well how much bigger life is than the game of basketball. As an 18-year-old at the University of Arizona, Kerr had to deal with the tragic assassination of his father a world away in Lebanon. 

That emotional pain has always stayed with Kerr, and it always will. These days, however, it's physical pain that has the third-year coach potentially contemplating his future in the NBA. Kerr underwent back surgery before last season, and complications from the procedure resulted in spinal fluid leaking out of his spinal column. That injury has caused Kerr massive headaches and nausea while robbing him of his general well-being. He missed the first half of the 2015-16 season as he recuperated from the procedure. Yet even when Kerr returned, he wasn't quite himself; as Warriors general manager Bob Myers shared recently, Kerr is much sicker than he has let on.

Via ESPN.com:

Kerr's lingering illness didn't stop him from commiserating with Warriors fans last week, though, as he sent a letter thanking the Golden State faithful for their support through a historic regular season and a disappointing postseason:

Still, Kerr made it clear how he views the game:

The uncertainty about Kerr's health casts Golden State's recent decision to offer Mike Brown the Warriors' top assistant coaching job in a much different light. If for whatever reason Kerr requires more time off next season, Brown could be the one to fill the head coaching role in Kerr's absence, as Luke Walton did for the Warriors this season.

But those are questions for the future. For now, we're just hoping that Kerr feels better as soon as possible.

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