Steve Kerr won’t be coaching opposite Steve Clifford when the Golden State Warriors face the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. Clifford has suddenly had to take an indefinite leave of absence from the Hornets due to health concerns.
Kerr knows all too well about dealing with health issues while coaching and he expressed his empathy for what his Hornets counterpart is going through.
Steve Kerr expressed empathy for Hornets coach Steve Cliffford, who has stepped away from the team for health reasons: “Obviously, I’ve been in his shoes. … It’s tough.”
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) December 6, 2017
Kerr has dealt with serious back pain over the past few years which have required him to spend time away from coaching. He was even sidelined for most of the Warriors’ playoff run last season but returned in time to coach them toward the championship.
It’s hard to be a coach in the NBA given all the stress and the pressure that comes with the job. Health is one thing that suffers because of all the stress and it’s a challenge to manage.
Health is still more important, though, and like Kerr, Clifford made the necessary move to step aside while he sorts out whatever concerns he’s dealing with at the moment.
But while the Warriors had more than enough talent to remain dominant even with the likes of Luke Walton and Mike Brown coaching them while Kerr was out, it’ll be interesting to see how the 9-13 Hornets get on with interim Stephen Silas instead of Clifford.
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