Warriors

Steve Kerr Addresses Andrew Wiggins' Warriors Absence With Heartfelt Answer

Kerr addresses Wiggins' absence with heartfelt answer originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

The Warriors continue to show unwavering support for Andrew Wiggins, who has missed the last 17 games due to personal reasons.

It is not clear when or if Wiggins will return to the Warriors this season. But Golden State coach Steve Kerr is keeping everything in perspective, as he always does.

"Well, we love Wiggs, he's a huge part of our team," Kerr said Wednesday night following the Warriors' 127-125 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. "He's a great player but he's a great human being. He's just a great teammate, I love coaching him.

"So anytime you see one of your guys struggling, dealing with something, all you can do is support that player and give them space and that's what we've tried to do. But our players and our coaches, front office, we're all thinking about Wiggs every day. If he comes back, great. If he doesn't come back, that's fine too.

"We just want to make sure that he's in a good place, taking care of his family and we'll see how it plays out."

Warriors guard Steph Curry shared a similar sentiment earlier this month.

"Friend to friend, teammate to teammate, just sending him support," Curry said on March 11 after a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. "It's a tough situation in terms of him being away for so long, but necessary. Life is bigger than basketball. Whatever him and his family are going through, that's all that matters. Whenever he's ready to come back, I'm sure he will."

RELATED: Warriors' bench flying high right in time for playoff push

With eight regular-season games remaining in a tight playoff race, the Warriors definitely would benefit by Wiggins returning to the lineup. He was, after all, arguably their second-best player behind Curry in the 2022 NBA Finals.

But the Warriors have their priorities straight. Life first, basketball second. That culture has helped the franchise raise four championship banners in the last eight years.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Copyright RSN
Contact Us