It seemed as if the the New York Knicks had the hiring of Steve Kerr in the bag.
Reports even came out suggesting that the Golden State Warriors had already moved on from their courting of Kerr, fearing that contractual talks with the Knicks had progressed too far and were already working on Stan Van Gundy, who was said to be ‘Plan B’.
But just hours after news of the Warriors disappointment leaked, it was announced that Kerr agreed to become head coach of the Golden State Warriors, shocking all involved.
Was there any reasoning behind it? Well, Kerr himself has stated a desire to be closer to his family who currently reside in Southern California, but might San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich have played a role in it?
Kerr spoke to Popovich before deciding between the Warriors and Knicks according to the New York Post, though Kerr says he won’t divulge what he and Popovich spoke about.
"When asked by The Post if Kerr consulted him when Kerr’s choice came down to the Knicks and Warriors, Popovich said, “Friends talk.’’He wouldn’t go any further; neither would Kerr.“We talked, but I’m not going to tell you what he said,’’ Kerr said with a chuckle."
Seems rather unlikely that Popovich would tell Kerr to pick one team over the other, though, the timing was certainly a bit suspect.