Kerr becomes fastest coach to 250 wins: 'I inherited a hell of a team'
Records are meant to be broken, and the Golden State Warriors helped their head coach demolish one.
With Golden State's 122-105 victory against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, Steve Kerr became the fastest coach to reach 250 career wins in NBA history, doing so in just 302 games. He beat Phil Jackson's record by an astonishing 44 games, but a humbled Kerr was quick to deflect credit and instead passed it on to his players.
"It just means that I inherited a hell of a team," Kerr said, according to ESPN's Chris Haynes. "An amazing, talented group of players."
He isn't wrong - Kerr took over a Warriors team in 2014-15 that had won 51 games the season before. However, they took a major leap during his first season in charge, winning 67 games and the franchise's first NBA championship since 1975. In his second year, the Warriors won an NBA-record 73 games, before going 67-15 in 2016-17 on their way to another championship. Kerr then reached 250 career wins against San Antonio as the first-place Warriors moved to 43-13 this season.
When asked about his coach's record, Warriors forward Draymond Green poked fun at Kerr, but also praised him for implementing continuity and culture upon his arrival.
"It means he's got some good players," Green said. "Nah, I'm just playing. That's incredible. Obviously, Steve never had any coaching experience, and to accomplish something like that says a lot. I think with the continuity that he brought to the organization, not only on the basketball court but just in the culture, has made a difference, and that's why we've been able to have the success that we've had."
The Warriors currently sit one game ahead of the Houston Rockets for the top seed in the league.