Steve Kerr has long been a proponent of a shorter NBA schedule, and this week was a reminder why.
Kerr’s Golden State Warriors played games on back-to-back nights, Wednesday in Dallas and Thursday in Houston.
After losing Wednesday to the Mavericks, Kerr put the NBA on blast.
“It’s a tough back to back. That’s what makes this loss even more frustrating,” Kerr said Wednesday. “We got to get into Houston at 3, whatever it is, because the NBA, in its infinite wisdom, makes us play an 8:45 game. They clearly don’t care about rest or player health; it’s just ratings and all that stuff. So, I get it. Everyone’s gotta do it. The whole league’s gotta do it. It is what it is.”
It’s not uncommon for star players to sit out one end of a back-to-back. Stephen Curry sat out one of the games, but this weekend’s All-Star break probably had something to do with that.
However, in January 2023, Kerr rested Curry as part of the “long game” and felt for the fans who missed out.
“I feel terrible for fans who bought a ticket expecting to see someone play, and they don’t get to see that person play. It’s a brutal part of the business,” Kerr said at the time. “It’s why I’m going to continue to advocate for 72-game seasons. And I know that means less revenue but, at some point, I think there just needs to be an awareness from everybody involved in the league.
“I think about it all the time. People are spending good money to see a team, and then someone doesn’t play? That’s not something I’m ignorant to. I know that is painful. We’ve had a lot of discussions with fans over the years who have been in that situation.”
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