Kerr sums up Warriors-Cavs rivalry: 'We just want to kick each other's a--'
(Warning: Story contains coarse language)
The Golden State Warriors are well-aware of their history with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The two teams will square off again Monday when the Warriors visit Cleveland for the latest chapter of a rivalry that already includes three consecutive NBA Finals matchups. A day prior to the game, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr pulled no punches when he described the animosity between the two sides.
"We just want to kick each other's ass," Kerr told The Mercury News' Mark Medina. "There's no sort of love lost. That's how it should be. We should be trying to beat each other."
Golden State holds the edge over the Cavaliers in the last three seasons, having come away with the NBA championship twice in three Finals meetings with Cleveland. Their playoff dominance has led some to compare their feud to the rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, who have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, including six of eight championship rounds in the 1960s.
The Warriors and Cavaliers may not be on that level yet, but Kerr suggests it's the league's contemporary equivalent.
"Lakers-Boston was the dominant rivalry. Our rivalry with Cleveland is the analogy of the modern NBA," he said. "It's the same thing. You got superstars all over the floor. You've had three Finals meetings. You have so many games and so many people watching.
"It's definitely a special feeling in the building when both teams are there."