The Warriors made a run at LeBron James this offseason, but Steve Kerr never really believed the four-time MVP was coming to Golden State.
James ultimately signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, ending any possibility of a partnership with Steph Curry. And while Kerr would have welcomed the move, plenty of Warriors fans apparently felt very differently.
“I don’t think it’s exactly earth-shattering news, or I don’t think I’ll get fined for saying, like, it never really felt like he was coming here,” Kerr said on the Tom Tolbert Show. “To me, it was more speculation than anything. I think we would have had a much better sense that, you know, something was going to happen.
“It’s been really interesting, though, hearing fans around the Bay — like, you know, people will randomly come up to me and say, ‘I’m glad we didn’t get LeBron.’ And I’m like, ‘Really?’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, it’s like he’s not supposed to be on our team. He’s a rival.’ And I get that as a sports fan. It’d be like, you know, should Magic [Johnson] and [Larry] Bird have played on the same team?
“So, I mean, just as a coach and having coached him in the Olympics — sign me up. … But it’s been interesting hearing our fans. I think fans, you know, because of the emotional connection you have to your team and rivalries and all that stuff, I think it was just a weird thought. That’s the reaction I’m getting from a lot of people.”
For Warriors fans, that history is difficult to ignore. James spent years as Golden State’s biggest obstacle, facing the Warriors in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 through 2018.
The idea of seeing him suddenly wearing the same uniform as Curry was always going to feel strange.
And while Kerr was more than willing to coach the superstar again, he understands why some Warriors fans were relieved the partnership never happened.
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