Steve Kerr doesn’t lose his composure often, but when he does, it tends to make headlines. The Warriors’ head coach was caught on national television, tearing into rookie Will Richard during Sunday’s 110-107 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. But after reviewing the tape, he had some explaining to do.

Steve Kerr Clears Richard, Points Finger at Brandin Podziemski After Reviewing the Play

Steve Kerr addressed the incident immediately after Sunday’s game, saying he regretted losing his temper. But speaking on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” on Tuesday, he went a step further and owned the mistake fully.

“That was an unfortunate one. I blamed the wrong guy for that one,” Kerr said. “The angle that I had from the bench, I thought he could have corralled it. Then I saw it on tape and I saw he was trying to save it from going out of bounds, and it was really Brandin’s fault on the pass itself.”

 

The play in question started promisingly enough. Richard forced a Knicks turnover, Brandin Podziemski picked it up and pushed ahead in transition, but his throw-ahead pass led Richard too far toward the baseline, leaving the rookie with no clean option and forcing a wild behind-the-back attempt that ended in a turnover.

From the bench, Kerr’s angle made it look like Richard’s error. The tape told a different story.

Kerr had already been sitting on his frustration over turnovers for months. Back in early January, he publicly declared he was “no longer talking about turnovers with the team”, a deliberate attempt to stop harping on an issue that had plagued Golden State all season.

It appeared to work to some extent, with the Warriors improving from 27th in turnover percentage through Jan. 2 to 19th since then. But Sunday’s second quarter unraveled quickly, with nine turnovers in the frame alone as the Knicks clawed back into the game. “Turnovers are my No. 1 pet peeve,” Kerr said. “I probably took it out on Will when I should have taken it out on the whole team.”

He acknowledged the mistake to his players at halftime and made sure they saw the clip again before Monday’s 125-117 win over the Washington Wizards, joking to the group: “What kind of idiot coach would blame this guy for the turnover?”

For Kerr, the incident reflects a deliberate philosophy around managing a locker room. It was built around keeping players on edge while ensuring they never doubt his investment in them.

He drew on his playing days under coaches like Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson to make the point. “I played for guys with great character and conviction, and they all had tempers that could put some fear in you,” Kerr said. “But I knew they all loved me. That’s a really important balance… you got to keep them on edge, but they have to know you love them.”

He made clear that moments like Sunday’s won’t be the last time he snaps, but that his players understand the difference between frustration and a lack of care. “I think our players understand there’s going to be times that I snap and break a clipboard, and sometimes when I’m going to be wrong, like the other night with Will,” Kerr said. “But they know I care and know that I’m looking out for them.”

With Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler both sidelined, the Warriors’ margin for error is razor-thin. Unforced turnovers of the kind that cost them against New York are exactly what a shorthanded Golden State team can least afford right now.