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Having spent two seasons with Luke Walton when he was still part of his Golden State Warriors coaching staff, Steve Kerr has gotten a greater understanding and appreciation toward the Los Angeles Lakers coach. The latter understands what the former's tendencies are both as a coach and a person.
Kerr spoke about Walton recently, and admitted that he sees a lot of similarities in them. The Warriors coach cited, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, their similar influences as coaches, as well as how they balance their lives as professionals and family men.
“I think Luke and I are as much alike as human beings as any two coaches could possibly be in the NBA,” Kerr said. “When you consider our backgrounds, growing up in Southern California, on the beach, laid back, both played for Lute Olson [at Arizona], grounded in the fundamentals of Lute, Tex Winter and Phil Jackson, deeply in love and passionate about the game but not to the point of obsession. Good life balance, family man, he has younger kids, I have older kids.
“Luke is as much like me as anybody I can think of, and our coaching profiles probably reflect that.”
Although their teams are on different paths right now, Kerr's comments tell a lot about how he thinks the Lakers coach will become in the future. No doubt, Luke Walton learned a lot from the two-time champion coach, as they teamed up on the Warriors bench en route to a championship back in 2015; such lessons that he can certainly apply now that he is calling the plays on the sidelines for the Lakers.
It may only be a matter of time before Luke Walton makes a name for himself as one of the better coaches in the league. As the Lakers' young core matures together, it will only make his job easier, allowing him to shine, just like how Steve Kerr has been able to do with the Warriors.
