Why Steve Kerr's Latest Antics Are a Problem

For months, everything has gone nearly perfect for the NBA with their ratings shooting out of a cannon, star players moving, impact trades, and entertaining games nightly to top it all off. However, the narrative is not immune to a negative spin.

To go along with their top players making fake Twitter accounts, and constantly receiving technical fouls, just last night the Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr pulled off one of the most disrespectful, unlikable decisions in the NBA in recent memory.

While it is understandable Kerr decided to take the night partially off for a 46-point stomping of the Suns, the way he did it was a black eye on the league. Kerr elected to let his players take over the coaching duties for the night. It was the type of move that should create resentment in a league that is progressing in nearly every direction.

Was Andre Iguodala auditioning to be a head coach? Of course not. Yet he was in charge last night drawing out plays and running the huddle while the Warriors coaching staff sat quietly by:

Even David West contributed to the mockery, but it did not stop there, Draymond Green – dressed in the signature coaches’ suit – also joined in on the fun:

“Hell yeah,” it bothered Suns SG Troy Daniels – who scored seven points – as he thought it was disrespectful, and threw some serious shade at Kerr questioning just how hard his job really is:

Daniels’ claim that it was “disrespectful” to the Suns is one problem, but it was also disrespectful to the NBA and the fans. Kerr’s decision was the ultimate slap in the face to those watching, expressing that the game was meaningless and the two teams are not proportionate.

For them to turn a legitimate NBA game into a joke is exactly what the NBA should be fearful of.

Kerr attempted to justify his choice by saying to The Athletic:

"“I have to coach my team. I told Jay afterward, ‘People may make a big deal of it. It had nothing to do with me being disrespectful. It had to do with me trying to reach my team.’ I have not reached them for the last month. They’re tired of my voice. I’m tired of my voice. It’s been a long haul these last three years. I wasn’t reaching them, and we thought it was probably a good night to pull a trick out of the hat and do something different.”"

Until this year, the NBA had been under harsh scrutiny as a result of stars sitting out nationally televised games, and this schtick Kerr pulled should be categorized with it. The move carried the same negative impact and sends the same message to fans: If we don’t care, why should you?

If Kerr is going to pull a stunt where he is so confident his team is going to destroy the competition, why should the fans even bother?  Next time the two teams face off, why should fans spend their hard earned money to go watch a matchup that one side has humiliated publically by saying they are light years ahead of the opponent?

Why should fans schedule to watch regular season basketball at the rate they are currently are if the Warriors are just going to display their boredom with it?

The NBA has been off to a sizzling start this season, they should put an end to this immediately to prevent more childish acts like this one.

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