Warriors coach Steve Kerr reacted like every NBA fan regarding the Denver Nuggets' firing of coach Michael Malone on Tuesday.
"Shocked, like everyone," Kerr told reporters 90 minutes before the Warriors tipped off with the Phoenix Suns at PHX Arena. "Mike has obviously been a great, great coach, championship coach, and fantastic record, and again, like with [former Memphis Grizzlies coach] Taylor [Jenkins], you don't expect anything like this, this late in the season.
"And then as I said with Taylor, organizations have to do their own business and we aren't privy to any of that, so I have no idea what was happening. So I can't really comment on anything other than wishing Mike well because he's done an amazing job. Doesn't seem right but this is the business we're in and … we're all going to suffer a similar fate at some point. That's kind of the way it is."
"We're all going to suffer a similar fate at some point. That's kind of the way it is."
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 9, 2025
Steve Kerr shares his thoughts on the firing of Nuggets coach Michael Malone earlier today pic.twitter.com/a7udVmKD8S
Malone, the winningest coach in Nuggets franchise history, stunningly was fired Tuesday, along with general manager Calvin Booth, with three regular-season games remaining.
Denver entered Tuesday in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 47-32 record. But they have struggled recently, losing four consecutive contests, including one to Kerr and the Warriors.
Malone's dismissal comes 10 days after the Grizzlies fired Jenkins. Both Denver and Memphis will qualify for the postseason in some fashion, making the timing of the moves surprising.
Golden State Warriors
"I think one thing that's happened is, most teams are now owned by billionaires, big corporations," Kerr told reporters. "So we're all more expendable. There's so much money in the business now, and there's pluses and minuses to that. We're all making bigger salaries than we were five years ago, but we're all much more vulnerable because, I don't think a lot of the owners are that concerned with firing a guy and paying them off to go away. Again, this is a business we chose and we all love it. But it's not the most stable profession, that's for sure."
Kerr signed a two-year contract extension with the Warriors in February 2024, keeping him on Golden State's sideline through the 2025-26 NBA season.
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In light of the Malone news, Kerr was asked how much longer he wants to coach.
"I don't know," Kerr said. "I love what I do. I'm in an amazing position with great support from my ownership and management and obviously have talented players and the idea of continuing on with this group is very appealing because I love every single day.
"But who knows how long that lasts and I don't spend a whole lot of time worrying about it. I just enjoy it and we'll see where it all goes."
It's safe to assume that as long as Steph Curry and Draymond Green are on the Warriors' roster, Kerr will be their coach.
But if we've learned anything from the firings of Jenkins and Malone, it's that things can change quickly.
