Steve Kerr was adamant Tuesday he has a great relationship with Warriors owner Joe Lacob despite an email the latter sent to a fan earlier this week that expressed disappointment in the coach’s team.
The Lacob message was fired off shortly after the Warriors lost 136-131 to the Trail Blazers in Portland on Sunday night.
In a response to a Warriors supporter who was livid with the team’s roster and the way Jimmy Butler’s tools were “being underutilized,” Lacob told the person they couldn’t “be as frustrated as me.”
“I am working on it,” Lacob wrote. “It’s complicated. Style of play. Coaches desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy is not the problem.”
The message was captured in a screenshot and shared on Reddit, and following the Warriors confirming its authenticity, Kerr downplayed the matter during a meeting with reporters.
“It’s not a big deal,” he said.
“I hate when people are going to post private emails,” he added. “I mean, imagine if everyone’s emails were just publicly posted, how tough that would be to live our lives. So Joe supports me 100 percent. I support him. We have a great connection.”
The Warriors own a 13-14 record this season and are just 2-4 to start December. They sit in eighth place in the NBA’s Western Conference.
To make matters even more complicated, Kerr is coaching on a contract that will expire at the end of the 2025-26 season.
“We’re all frustrated,” Kerr said. “Joe is frustrated. I’m frustrated. Steph and Dray [Draymond Green] — everybody is frustrated. This is kind of how the league works.”
Kerr and the Warriors will have to wait a bit longer to try to get back on track — their next game isn’t until Thursday, when they’re scheduled to take on the Suns in Phoenix.
