When Steve Kerr said, "I'll never leave Steph Curry," which he did on The Athletic Show recently, Warriors fans likely had one of two reactions. The first reaction is a full heart. This is a rare dynamic between player and coach in today's NBA. To have each one perform at such a high level for such a long time is a special accomplishment for a franchise. Doesn't it make you feel warm and fuzzy?
The other reaction, of course, is from the Warriors fans who have been around since long before Kerr and Curry entered the scene. The folks who still remember the We Believe days. Their reaction is probably one of fear, one of imagining when this duo departs the Bay. Because when Kerr says he'll never leave Steph... Does that also mean he will leave when Steph does?
It's not a crazy proposition... But it's a sad one for Warriors fans nonetheless.
The Steve Kerr and Steph Curry days may be numbered in Golden State
These two have been attached at the hip for well over a decade now. It's almost impossible to think of one's accomplishments without the other. When they both decide to hang it up, they'll go down as two of the greatest ever at their respective jobs.
They will also immediately cast the Warriors into a rebuild, especially if they head out at the same time. Steph Curry is, somehow, still posting near-MVP numbers at 37 years old and Steve Kerr continues to be lightyears ahead of other NBA coaches with his scheme. So it's not like either is over the hump right now. But the oncoming reality of retirement for both of these guys feels realer now than it ever has, and the breadcrumbs may be adding up to a full loaf of sadness.
You don't realize you're in the good old days until they're, well, old, but even over a decade in, with the Warriors no longer being the behemoth in the Western Conference, these are still the good old days — with Kerr and Curry, there's a pretty high baseline.
But with every hint from Steve Kerr or Steph Curry that the dreaded day of their retirements is approaching, it forces Warriors fans to envision a future without the two biggest pillars of this franchise. It won't be a fun day, but it probably can't be ignored for much longer. Or maybe it can be. Worth a shot, I guess.