No player-coach partnership has borne more fruit in the last two decades than the one between Steph Curry and Steve Kerr . Together, the two have led the Golden State Warriors to the pinnacle of NBA basketball, winning four championships in eight seasons from 2015 to 2022.
However, there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the franchise. With the Warriors struggling to keep up with the West's elite so far this season and Kerr's contract expiring at the end of this season, it remains to be seen what the next step will be for this iconic duo.
Kerr, though, made it loud and explicitly clear that if it were squarely up to him, he would never leave Curry high and dry.
In a conversation with The Athletic's Zena Keita, Kerr was asked if he was willing to start anew, coach somewhere else and perhaps build a new powerhouse squad. The silver-haired coach quickly dismissed that notion, emphatically saying , "First of all, I will never leave Steph Curry . I can tell you that."
More than the championships, records and accolades they have accomplished in their 12 seasons together in the Bay Area, Kerr stressed that the connection he has with Curry is something he treasures. Although Curry had already established himself as an All-Star and All-NBA Team talent the season before Kerr arrived in Golden State, everything jumped to the next level when they began working together.
While the talents of Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson had a lot to do with the Warriors' rise to the championship, the dynamic between the team's undisputed superstar and the coach was just as crucial . And it started with trust.
"There's a reason [Tom] Brady and [Bill] Belichick worked. There's a reason Phil and Michael worked. It has to click," Kerr explained in a separate interview. "There has to be a mutual respect and there has to be a fierce, competitive desire. Passion for the job. Passion for winning. When all is said and done, it might be the most proud thing that exists. The most proud dynamic of my career will be a collaboration with Steph."
Steph has also expressed that while these decisions are out of his hands, he doesn't want to play for another coach.
"I don't want to," he said . "We deserve that, I feel. Things change in this league. We can only control so much. But I think we're in a very unique situation that we deserve the opportunity [to ride it out]."
Kerr was candid enough to share that what will likely force him to quit isn't adversity; it's the brutal travel schedule.
"I think the one thing that will take me out of coaching is the travel, honestly. Just the number of late-night flights and 3:00 a.m. arrivals," Kerr conveyed.
He added that, with his future in the Golden State still uncertain, decisions may have to be made at some point regarding his coaching career. However, he doesn't see himself quitting any time soon.
"It's hard to say. I mean, I don't see myself just quitting coaching after this year," Kerr stated. "But there will come a time where there are going to have to be some decisions made—between the Warriors, myself, my family, what we want to do, and all of that."
Kerr and Curry have been a dynamic duo and the driving force behind the Warriors' dynasty. Although the Warriors are no longer as dominant as they once were, Kerr and Curry deserve to ride into the sunset together.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
