The Golden State Warriors are still unsure if head coach Steve Kerr will be able to make his return to the sidelines in time for the NBA Finals, which will tip-off on June 1, according to a report by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
Kerr admitted he is still dealing with complications from his back surgery, which has kept him out for the past 10 playoff games.
“Just day-by-day,” Kerr told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, when asked about his status for the upcoming series.
The 51-year-old took a leave of absence on April 23 and rejoined the team at the end of second-round series against the Utah Jazz, going as far as joining the Warriors in their trip to San Antonio for Games 3 and 4.
Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob told ESPN late Monday night that he's informed Kerr to take “as long as he wants” to return to the team, per Shelburne.
“He is a fantastic coach and a fantastic human being and a great friend,” Lacob said. “I told him the other day, ‘I don't even want to talk about or think about anything other than winning this championship. You can contribute in any way you can, and we'll worry about the future in the future.'”
“He is still here. He's in the locker room. He's around. His imprint is all over this,” Lacob said, admitting he's had a sizable impact on the team by just being around players and coaches, providing words of wisdom and encouraging halftime speeches to keep the team engaged. “I don't view it as he's not here; he's just not on the bench.”
The Warriors won't take the court for another nine days, as they wait for the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the No. 1-seeded Boston Celtics and No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers.
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