Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr expressed disappointment in the Los Angeles Lakers coming short of playoff expectations, along with LeBron James missing the postseason for the first time since 2005.
While the Lakers' brass did not guarantee a playoff berth, fans expected that to be an unsaid hope for the franchise after signing James to a four-year deal.
Kerr, however, seemed more disappointed for all involved:
“We got so used to playing him in Cleveland, so when a star player changes uniforms, it always takes a little while to get used to,” Kerr said of James. “I'm disappointed for him and for the Lakers. I want everybody to be healthy every year. It's better for the league, it's better for all the people involved.
“Luke [Walton] is one of my best friends, and it's been a tough season to try to navigate. I feel bad for everybody involved, but as I said, it's sort of part of [the job].”
Steve Kerr on the weird feeling he has that LeBron James won’t be playing in the playoffs. Kerr also praises Luke Walton for how he has handled this season pic.twitter.com/re0V8r6QVm
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 4, 2019
The Warriors saw James and the Lakers for four consecutive NBA Finals, and it's likely Kerr is also looking forward to new challenges after facing the same team during every postseason of his coaching career.
However, his former assistant, Luke Walton, didn't exactly sign up to coach James when he first agreed to become the head coach of the Lakers in 2016 — first building a team of young guns and making them into NBA-caliber players.
The West will be without the Lakers in the playoffs for yet another year, but it will be much tougher to envision postseason action without a staple like LeBron James playing in it.
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