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ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith delivered high praise for Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr on Friday’s episode of First Take, calling him one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. The remarks came one day after the Warriors extended their winning streak to four games with a 123-116 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Steve Kerr is one of the greatest coaches in the history of basketball,” Smith said. “We just have to stand down and recognize this man is a four-time champion with the Golden State Warriors. He’s coached them to six NBA Finals.”
Stephen A. Smith ranks Steve Kerr among all-time greats
Smith acknowledged that while he was critical of Kerr’s decisions during Team USA’s gold-medal run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, particularly regarding Jayson Tatum’s playing time, the critique came from a place of high regard.
“It’s the coach that mixes and matches, it’s the coach that’s trying to figure out the lineups, it’s the coach that’s dissecting who works best with whom and how,” Smith said. “Obviously, I was critical of him and Jayson Tatum in the Olympics, but I hope Steve Kerr is listening to me when I say this… that’s the reason I was critical. It’s not because he’s not a great coach, it’s because he is a great coach, because he is a phenomenal coach and he should have figured out a way to use that First-Team All-NBA player that’s a reigning NBA champion.”
.@stephenasmith calls Warriors coach Steve Kerr one of the “greatest coaches in the history of basketball.” pic.twitter.com/dZzKAIxrIf
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 4, 2025
Smith added that Kerr's ability to lead the Warriors through multiple championship runs and adapt to various roster changes puts him in rare company.
“You can’t tell me that you’re Steve Kerr and you got 40 minutes and you can’t figure something out because I think he’s that great,” Smith continued. “He’s that phenomenal as a coach and if we look at the Golden State Warriors right now, and we talk about this team… this is a man that succeeded Mark Jackson but there is no doubt that Steve Kerr – when you look at the great coaches in NBA history, the Pat Riley’s, the Phil Jackson’s, the Larry Brown’s of the world, the Gregg Popovich’s of the world, hell you can go back to the days of Red Holzman and others. Steve Kerr is one of the top five, top six coaches in the history of basketball. I think he’s proven that.”
Kerr’s leadership anchors Warriors’ resurgence as playoff race tightens in Western Conference
Since taking over for Mark Jackson ahead of the 2014-15 season, Kerr has guided Golden State to four NBA titles and six Finals appearances, including a league-record 73-win season in 2015-16. He has emphasized adaptability, developed young talent, and maintained a winning culture around core stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, with Klay Thompson playing a central role until his departure to the Dallas Mavericks this past offseason.
The Warriors, now 45-31, have surged in recent weeks. Since February 8, Golden State holds the third-best record in the NBA at 20-5, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder (23-3) and the Boston Celtics (20-4). The team currently sits fifth in the Western Conference, just one game behind the Lakers (46-30) and 1.5 games back of the third-seeded Denver Nuggets (47-30).
The midseason arrival of Jimmy Butler III at the trade deadline has played a significant role in the Warriors’ resurgence. Golden State is 19-4 when Butler plays, and his two-way presence has added much-needed stability and edge to the rotation.
Golden State will return home Friday night for a pivotal Western Conference matchup against the Nuggets as the regular season winds down. With six games remaining, Kerr’s experience and leadership remain critical for a Warriors team looking to climb further up the standings before the playoffs begin.
