Rick Carlisle revealed that he encouraged Steve Kerr to accept the Golden State Warriors’ head coaching job instead of pursuing the New York Knicks in 2014, a decision that helped launch one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties.
Appearing on The Draymond Green Show, the Indiana Pacers head coach recalled a brief conversation with Kerr before Golden State hired him.
“I said, ‘I’ve heard your name with Golden State a little bit,’” Carlisle said. “I said, ‘That is a conference finals team like right now. And if you want to go to a team that is like ready to win, I mean, that’s the place you should go if you can.’ And we ended the conversation. A few minutes later, two days later, he took the Golden State job.”
At the time, Kerr was one of the most sought-after coaching candidates in the league. He had been linked to both the Warriors and Knicks, with New York led by former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who had hired Kerr as a broadcaster during his time at TNT and reportedly viewed him as a top candidate.
Carlisle, however, believed Golden State already had the pieces in place to contend immediately. His assessment proved prophetic.
Kerr inherited a roster featuring Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. In his first season, the Warriors finished 67-15 and won the 2015 NBA championship. Golden State went on to reach six NBA Finals in eight seasons under Kerr, capturing four championships and establishing one of the league’s defining dynasties.
More than a decade later, Kerr remains on the Warriors’ bench. In May 2026, he signed a two-year contract extension that keeps him with the franchise through the 2027-28 season, ending speculation that he might retire after Golden State’s disappointing 37-45 campaign in 2025-26.
The Warriors missed the playoffs last season after losing in the Play-In Tournament, finishing 10th in the Western Conference with a 37-45 record. Stephen Curry once again led the team with 26.6 points per game while shooting 39.3% from three-point range across 43 appearances. Jimmy Butler added 20.0 points in 38 games before suffering a torn ACL that is expected to sideline him for a significant portion of the 2026-27 season.
Despite the setback, Golden State has doubled down on its veteran core. The franchise re-signed Draymond Green to a five-year extension, and Curry becomes eligible to sign a two-year, $136.7 million maximum extension later this summer. The Warriors also added Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, hoping he can contribute immediately alongside veterans Curry, Green and Kristaps Porzingis.
Kerr said after signing his extension that his relationship with Curry and Green played a major role in his decision to continue coaching.
