The Golden State Warriors hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy again in 2018, winning back-to-back championships for the first time in franchise history. It wasn't a smooth start to the season that helped Golden State manage the trials and tribulations associated with its title defense, though. The team's trip to China for a pair of exhibition games, in fact, was later criticized by players and coaches en masse for the physical and mental toll it took so close to tipoff of the 82-game grind.
But don't worry, Dub Nation. Steve Kerr seems not at all concerned by his reigning-champion team befalling that same fate on its upcoming overseas “vacation.” Appearing Thursday on Damon and Ratto, he copped to inevitable complications of the Warriors' preseason trip to Japan, but insisted they didn't compare to rippling advantages of continuing to grow the game internationally.
“It's not the ideal way to go through training camp. It's not how you draw it up, but it's an incredible opportunity,” Kerr said. “To go to Tokyo, which is such a great city…It'll be an amazing experience for our players and coaches. Any sort of training camp disruption is far outweighed by the benefits of being in Tokyo with the team and growing the game. Seeing the Japanese people cheer on Steph Curry and the team, it'll be a thrill.”
Golden State began unofficial team workouts in the Bay this week and opens training camp on September 24th. The Warriors will fly to Japan a couple days later for two preseason games against the Washington Wizards on September 30 and October 2nd, just outside Tokyo at Saitama Super Arena. They'll finish preseason action with three games at Chase Center, beginning October 9th versus the Los Angeles Lakers.
Golden State's 2017-18 title defense began with a week of practice and one preseason game before moving to China. The Warriors returned home a week later not only jet-lagged, but without much additional prep time due to the start of the regular season being pushed up to mid-October.
“This is the way you’re supposed to enter a season,” Kerr said during the 2018-19 preseason, per Mark Medina of the Bay Area News Group.“You have a solid couple of weeks of conditioning and not too much travel. You really get to put things in piece by piece and get better day by day and not worry about international travel and time zones. This is a much more natural way to prepare for the year.
“It’s a huge relief to look at our preseason schedule and know that we’re pretty much sticking close to home.”
Kerr, the current head coach of Team USA, spent his early years living in the Middle East and was overseas for much of the offseason, including in Cairo—where he attended high school— for a stint with Basketball Without Borders. He understands and appreciates the mutually beneficial nature of people experiencing different cultures as much as anyone in the league.
Still, there's no denying the Warriors' trip to Japan will make a successful title defense slightly more difficult. At least Kerr and team decision-makers are bound to better planned for that reality this time around.
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