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Warriors' Kerr: 'I fully expect to coach all year'

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As the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, Steve Kerr has had to face a global media circus over the years. And with the 51-year-old also having to deal with crippling back pain, complications from surgery he underwent in 2015, it has only heightened the drama.

Luckily, the man tasked with guiding Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and the rest of the star-laden Warriors to their third championship in four seasons is optimistic his bad back won't force him from the sidelines in the near future.

"I fully expect to coach all year," Kerr told the San Francisco Chronicle's Scott Ostler. "That's my expectation. And for many years to come."

Kerr's pain was so encompassing that he was unable to man the team's bench to start the 2015-16 season. Then-assistant coach Luke Walton, now the Lakers' bench boss, amassed a 39-4 record before Kerr was once again able to assume his full-time game-day duties. The team finished with an NBA-record of 73-9 in the regular season.

Kerr's back issues began acting up again during the 2017 playoffs. Top assistant Mike Brown coached in Kerr's absence, going undefeated in his 11 appearances as the de facto head coach.

"I'm very proud of what we've accomplished, and I love being part of something special," Kerr told the San Francisco Chronicle. "In a perfect world, I will get some relief from the pain I've felt, so I can enjoy it more."

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