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Head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors reacts during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Nov. 4, 2024 in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n
Scott Taetsch\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Steve Kerr said his political activism<\/a> never came up during his meetings with Golden State Warriors<\/a> leadership ahead of signing a new two-year deal to return as head coach.<\/p>\n Kerr set up a three-week period of uncertainty<\/a> by not pursuing an extension ahead of this past season, the final of his contract. In the first week after the Dubs\u2019 season ended, multiple reports<\/a> said there were some within the Warriors organization who were frustrated<\/a> by Kerr frequently speaking out on social and political issues. At the time, it was one of many factors that led some around the team to believe<\/a> Kerr would not be returning to coach.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n But over the last few weeks, Kerr and the Warriors, particularly owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., held several meetings and hashed out his return, which was agreed to last weekend<\/a> and made official on Tuesday. That brought things to Friday, when Kerr held a 25-minute press conference<\/a> with Bay Area reporters. At one point, Kerr was asked if his political activism came up in the meetings and how he views his outspokenness going forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt never came up,\u201d Kerr said. \u201cI think I\u2019ve learned over the years, the balance. And I think for the most part, I\u2019ve found a good balance where I can speak my mind on things that are really important to me and represent the franchise in a dignified way. And that literally never came up. That was not a part of the conversation at all, in terms of whether I was coming back or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n