Subscribe
Follow Us
Steve Kerr’s battle with intense headaches as a result of a bungled back surgery last July is unfortunately far from over.
Kerr initially took a leave of absence on October 1, 2015 to focus on his recovery and manage his pain, missing 43 games of the regular season.
AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
After this month's finals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was reported that Kerr had to again be medically examined due to searing back pain and dizziness. According to ESPN.com’s Jackie MacMullan:
Golden State coach Steve Kerr didn’t catch Cleveland’s championship parade, or LeBron James holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy aloft, or J.R. Smith’s bare-chested he-man poses. He did not catch these things because, at the time, he was jetting to the Duke Medical Center in Durham, N.C., to meet with doctors — again — to press for answers as to why nearly a year after back surgery, he’s still experiencing searing pain and dizziness.
“Just got back,” Kerr said Saturday, six days removed from the Warriors’ Game 7 loss to the Cavaliers. “It was helpful. They tell me I’m improving, but it’s just going to take time. It’s kind of a long process.”
The cause of Kerr’s headaches is not fully understood by medical professionals. A popular theory is that his back surgery in July 2015 upset the delicate balance of spinal fluid in his body that may have caused a condition known as “daily persistent headaches syndrome.”
The syndrome is difficult to treat and may persist for years. According to neurology.org, the pain is usually on both sides of the head, can fluctuate in intensity and duration, is daily, and can last for months at a time.
At his NBA Coach of the Year news conference, Kerr told reporters that this was the “hardest year of [his] life, not even close.”
We hope that Kerr is able to receive adequate treatment and fully recover in the near future. Despite clearly squinting under arena lights throughout the finals, he looked okay. But if he is not 100% before the season starts, then we could see more forced leaves of absences.
[button width=”full” button size=”bigger” color=”custom” align=”center” textcolor=”#ffffff” texthcolor=”#ffffff” bgcolor=”#8b0000″ link=”https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-cavaliers-coaches-interesting-pregame-rituals/”]NEXT: Warriors’ and Cavaliers’ coaches interesting pregame rituals[/button]
