How Draymond reacted to Kerr’s tirade at Steph vs. Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Many Warriors fans may not have noticed it during Golden State’s win over Boston last week, but coach Steve Kerr did something not seen very often.
He went ballistic toward guard Steph Curry after a bad turnover — something many NBA coaches rarely do with star players.
But Curry took it in stride. After the game, he said he wants “to be coached like everyone else,” while Kerr praised his rare combination of superstardom and coachability.
On Wednesday’s episode of his podcast, teammate Draymond Green offered an interesting reaction to the fiery incident.
“When I saw it, I just go to Steph and reassure him like, ‘Yeah, we’re good. F–k that. Let’s move on,’ ” Green told co-host Baron Davis on “The Draymond Green Show.” “Just to make sure his head stays in the right place.
“People respond to things differently, and you never know what response you’re going to get.”
Though Green often acts as more of an instigator, this situation is one of the rarer instances when he’s focused on playing peacemaker to get the most out of his team.
“When you are one of the top dogs on the team, the job goes far beyond just going out there and playing a good basketball game. There are so many more things that you have to deal with when you’re going through this stuff. So I’m immediately watching that and I see it, and I’m watching Steph’s reaction and how he responds to it. …
“If he responds negatively, I’ve already told myself I need to go talk to Coach and make sure Coach understands the reaction, to make sure Coach understands Steph ain’t respond great to you yelling at him like that. Let’s just keep an eye on that. So that’s already my mindset because, again, you have to keep an eye on all of these things. You have to know what makes your guys tick and what makes them not.
“So I’m watching that like a hawk. In turn, I’m then watching the postgame press conferences. And Steph is like, ‘No, I want to be coached like everyone else.’ That statement lines up with the way you continued to play after you and Steve had your moment.
“So, cool, I wash my hands, and I’m on to the next thing.”
Green continued by emphasizing the importance of those seemingly insignificant interactions because they still can lead to bigger problems down the road for a team with championship aspirations.
This explanation offers an incredibly intriguing look into the mind of Green’s emotional intelligence, although that may not be how many NBA fans would characterize him. Nevertheless, it’s a credit to how Green became a pillar of the Warriors’ dynasty over the last decade.
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