TITLE: Curry and Kerr Enter 12th Season Together, Review Pivotal Moments of Their Warriors Partnership
SLUG: curry-kerr-12th-season-warriors
CONTENT:
As the Golden State Warriors prepare for the 2025-26 NBA campaign, head coach Steve Kerr and point guard Stephen Curry are marking their 12th year side by side—already longer than the runs of Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan or Red Auerbach and Bill Russell. In a recent conversation, the pair traced the highs, lows and turning points that have shaped an era featuring six NBA Finals trips and four championships.
A Christmas misstep that became a catalyst
Kerr still labels Dec. 25, 2016 as his biggest coaching regret. Hours after the Warriors squandered a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in Cleveland, he criticized Curry’s decision-making, telling reporters the star “could be a little smarter.” On the red-eye flight home, Kerr saw the headline, cringed and texted Curry to request a face-to-face meeting. The next day at Curry’s home, Kerr apologized, then stressed the need for better ball security without curbing Curry’s aggression. Golden State finished that season 56-10 and rolled to the 2017 title.
Longevity built on trust
“The fact that he acted right away is what mattered,” Curry said, adding that clear communication has allowed them to resolve virtually any issue.
The relationship, both agree, hinges on mutual respect and an unrelenting competitiveness. “There’s a reason Brady and Belichick worked,” Kerr said. “When all is said and done, the collaboration with Steph will be what I’m most proud of.”
Contract clocks are ticking
Curry has two seasons left on his deal. Kerr, who has repeatedly said he will not seek an in-season extension, is entering the final year of his contract. The coach insisted he would either remain with Golden State or step away from the bench entirely, saying, “I’m not finishing my contract and then going someplace else.”
Asked whether he could envision playing for another coach, Curry replied, “I don’t want to. We deserve the chance to ride this out.”
First impressions and early hurdles
Kerr first watched Curry in November 2007 while serving as general manager of the Phoenix Suns. Two years later, he attempted to trade up for the Davidson guard in the 2009 draft, but the Warriors kept the No. 7 pick and selected Curry themselves.
When Golden State fired Mark Jackson in May 2014, Curry’s initial resistance threatened to complicate Kerr’s arrival. The two eventually met for a golf outing at Pebble Beach—Kerr and controlling owner Joe Lacob versus Curry and Dell Curry—where the new coach outlined an offensive system he believed would elevate the team without dismantling Jackson’s defensive foundation. The dialogue eased any tension. “It helped that he wasn’t trying to blow everything up,” Curry said.
Hard coaching, open ears
Teammates say Kerr holds Curry to a demanding standard. Draymond Green noted, “He coaches Steph really, really, really hard.” In March 2025, after Curry shot 6-for-21 and committed seven turnovers against Denver, Kerr told reporters the guard needed a “mental break.” Curry missed the next two games with a tailbone injury, and Kerr used the moment to emphasize ball security in front of the locker room.
“Coach me like you coach everybody,” Curry told Kerr later. “It strengthens your voice.”
Handwritten notes and lasting appreciation
Curry keeps two handwritten letters in a “keepsake box” at home: one from his brother, Seth, and another from Kerr delivered shortly after the 2016 Christmas incident. “It’s a lost art,” Curry said of Kerr’s habit of putting pen to paper during turbulent times.
Kerr, drawing on his experience with Gregg Popovich’s nightly toasts to Tim Duncan, frequently reminds people that Curry is the “sun” of the Warriors’ solar system. “Take Steph out, none of this happens,” the coach said.
Green summed up the dynamic succinctly: “There’s no Steph without Steve.”
Source: ESPN
