(Willie Green, pictured second from the right)
OAKLAND — Before most home games last season, Steve Kerr and Luke Walton performed their customary pregame ritual together.
Hot yoga.
As goofy as it is to picture the pair together in spandex, it’s an important part of the day for one of the NBA’s best head coaches. Kerr, 51, uses yoga to clear his mind, to relax, and maybe from time to time, to spark an idea that will help the Warriors reconquer the league.
Kerr decided to keep the yoga ritual going with Walton now in Los Angeles, and has invited two young assistant coaches, Willie Green and Nick U’Ren, to join him.
Kerr in particular elaborated about Green prior to Monday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. Green was added to the coaching staff in the summer, and just like Kerr and Walton, he hung around the NBA for multiple decades. Green averaged 8.3 career points in 12 seasons with the 76ers, Hornets, Hawks, Clippers and Magic before retiring in 2015.
But it’s his unique role rookie tutoring Patrick McCaw that has Kerr blown away with his coaching style.
“Willie’s going to be a star,” Kerr said. “I think he’s a future head coach. He just has such a great way about him. And he’s got the combination of confidence having played in the league almost 12, 13 years, but the humility of being a role player and having bounced around a little bit and understanding how the league works.
“I’m really, really happy we were able to get him onto this staff after losing Luke. Because I feel like some of the traits Luke had have been replaced by Willie. And that’s not an easy thing to do. Luke’s got big shoes to fill. But Willie’s doing a great job.”
U’Ren’s importance to the pie should not be discounted either. The 29-year-old was the one who originally came up with the death lineup, told here by the great Lee Jenkins.
Let the Steve Kerr coaching tree begin. Why not? This guy’s career record is 155-26 with one championship and another Game 7 loss in the title in only his second year. He’s the smartest guy in the room but he never lets anyone feel intimidated or unimportant.
Green gets to help develop McCaw which will be instrumental to his resume and who knows what U’Ren’s next dynamite lineup will be.
Kerr’s inclusive atmosphere is one of his best traits and it’s the gift that keeps on giving.