Draymond Green gives hilariously self-aware take on Steve Kerr's fiery ejection originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Whether it’s smashing a clipboard or sharing disapproval with a referee’s call, Warriors coach Steve Kerr is not one to shy away from expressing anger.
Kerr’s latest heated moment came in the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 103-102 loss to the LA Clippers on Monday, as he demonstratively argued against a no-call on a goaltend by Clippers forward John Collins.
Warriors star Draymond Green was asked after the game if he had ever seen his coach that angry, to which he provided a hilarious and astutely self-observant example.
“Yeah,” Green responded during his postgame press conference. “When he was ready to kill me the other day in the huddle.”
Green referred to the clash between Kerr and himself during a Warriors win over the Orlando Magic in December. Green left the bench and did not return to the game, saying it was “best to remove” himself.
It’s a good sign for morale that Green can chuckle about the incident in hindsight.
The team responded well after Kerr’s ejection, and his players appreciated the fire that he showed after receiving some unfavorable officiating.
“To be honest, I was going to do that and [then] I saw him…” Warriors star Steph Curry said to reporters after the game. “… I love that fired-up Steve for sure. Somebody had to do it tonight.”
Jimmy Butler felt the same way, noting how powerful it is to see Kerr’s anger in person.
“You see it sometimes on the internet,” Butler said after the game (h/t The Athletic’s Nick Friedell). “But I really get to see it face to face. Like I always tell you, I like confrontation when motherf—ers start yelling so that’s definitely good.”
Players always appreciate a coach who will stick up for them, especially when it seems like all the calls are going against them.
As long as that anger isn’t directed at each other during a timeout like the clash with Green, Kerr’s fire could continue to be beneficial for the Warriors.
Raphielle Johnson
