ESPN Star Makes Blunt Statement About Steve Kerr

Stephen A. Smith made a blunt statement about Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.

Dec 8, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reacts during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Kerr is one of the best coaches of all time.

He has helped lead the Golden State Warriors to four NBA Championships since the 2015 season and recently won a Gold medal as the head coach of Team USA earlier this month.

However, Kerr took a lot of criticism for his rotations during the 2024 Olympics.

Most notably, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum did not appear in two out of the team's six games.

Add Melo to the long list of people who aren't a fan of Steve Kerr benching Jayson Tatum for Team USA 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/uvOI8HLBm3

— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) August 9, 2024

Recently, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith shared a blunt quote about Kerr (via First Take).

Molly Qerim: "Why do you think Kerr didn't play him more?"

Smith: "Because Kerr is rigid and married to his way."

For the record, Kerr should get credit for the team going a perfect 6-0 and winning the Gold medal over France.

They had one of the best rosters ever assembled, but Tatum is coming off a season where he won the 2024 NBA Championship, so he probably deserved more respect.

Aug 3, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States small forward Jayson Tatum (10), shooting guard Stephen Curry (4), guard Devin Booker (15) and assistant coach Tyronn Lue on the bench in the third quarter against Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Tatum finished last season with averages of 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 47.1% from the field and 37.6% from the three-point range in 74 games.

In addition to winning the title, the Celtics had the best record in the NBA (64-18).

pic.twitter.com/WNepEh9yL5

— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) July 21, 2024

As for Kerr, his Warriors were the tenth seed in the Western Conference with a 46-36 record.

They lost to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament, so they missed the NBA playoffs for the third time in the previous five seasons.