OAKLAND, Calif. — Mike Brown planned to coach Game 1 of the NBA Finals as expected for the Golden State Warriors, with Steve Kerr likely watching again from behind the scenes as he deals with continued complications following back surgery nearly two years ago.
Brown addressed the media pregame and said he hadn’t spoken yet to Kerr.
“I imagine I’m going to coach until Steve tells me he’s ready,” Brown said. “That’s kind of how I look at it. I know he wanted to if he could try to coach Game 1 tonight.”
The 51-year-old Kerr had left open the possibility he might feel well enough to return to the bench by Thursday’s opener against the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena. Yet he hadn’t felt well enough in the previous days to feel like he was ready.
Kerr hasn’t coached Golden State – 12-0 heading into its third straight Finals against LeBron James and the Cavs – since Game 2 of the first round against Portland. He underwent a procedure to repair a spinal fluid leak on May 5 at Duke University but said he is still ailing and in debilitating pain.
