Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has forged his way beside Pat Riley as the only coaches to win a division title in each of their first five seasons as a head coach.
Per Elias Sports via Warriors PR, Kerr clinched the division after their dominant 137-90 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. This marked his fifth division title since taking on the head coaching post in the 2014-2015 season.
Riley, for his part, was assigned the Los Angeles Lakers head coach in the 1981-1982 NBA season after the firing of Paul Westhead early on. He went on to win nine straight division titles and snagged four championship titles for the Lakers.
Warriors clinch fifth-straight Pacific Division title pic.twitter.com/4u7oyFI06N
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) April 1, 2019
Since taking over the Warriors, Kerr quickly turned the team into one of the most potent offenses in the NBA. He quickly identified and utilized the 3-point shooting ability of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson whom they acquired through the draft.
Draymond Green, a late second-round pick, also bloomed into the team's point-forward and vocal leader. Kerr also acquired veterans such as Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston who became intrinsic elements of the Warriors' success.
Apart from developing the Warriors' high-octane offense, Kerr also created a healthy culture within the organization. Such a culture attracted various star players such as Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins to join the team.
Without a doubt, Kerr will go down as one of the greatest coaches to ever grace the sidelines and practice facilities of the NBA.
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