The Warriors are off to the best start in franchise history. At 34-6, they have the best record in the NBA and are on pace to finish with one of the top seeds in the Western Conference. Quite an accomplishment for a rookie head coach.
As if this team’s success wasn’t enough, Steve Kerr will get to coach the Western Conference All-Star team in Madison Square Garden on February 15. The NBA chooses the coaching staff based on who has the best record in their respective conference. Mike Budenholzer and his staff from the Atlanta Hawks will lead the Eastern Conference team.
Steve Kerr and his staff will travel to New York and coach some of the best players in the Western Conference. Steph Curry will be a starter and hopefully Klay Thompson will join him as a reserve. Coaching the All-Star game is an honor and only one other rookie head coach has done it. Larry Bird coached the East team in 1998.
This is the second time the Warriors will have their coach in the All-Star game, Don Nelson coached the West in 1992. This will be a good opportunity for Kerr to coach in arguably the best All-Star game in all of sports.
No rookie coach has had a better start than Steve Kerr, but it’s about how you finish. Kerr’s got five championship rings, so he is very much aware of the task at hand, which is winning an NBA title.
Read the full press release from the Golden State Warriors:
OAKLAND, CA – Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr and his staff will coach the Western Conference All-Stars for the 2015 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Madison Square Garden in New York, the NBA announced today. Kerr, in his first season as an NBA head coach, is Golden State’s first All-Star head coach since Don Nelson earned the honor in 1992. Kerr’s staff consists of Alvin Gentry, Ron Adams, Luke Walton, Jarron Collins and Bruce Fraser.
The Warriors (34-6, .850) clinched the best record in the Western Conference through games played Feb. 1 by virtue of their 126-113 win over the Houston Rockets last night, setting a new franchise record with their 17th consecutive home win. Golden State is off to its best start in franchise history and is just the 10th team in NBA annals to win at least 34 of its first 40 games. Kerr, off to the best start by a first-year head coach in NBA history, is the first coach to earn the All-Star nod in his first NBA season since Indiana’s Larry Bird led the Eastern Conference in 1998.
Golden State leads the league in both field goal percentage (.487) and opponent field goal percentage (.421), a feat last accomplished over the course of a full season by the 1980-81 Philadelphia 76ers. The Warriors also lead the NBA in points per game (110.7), assists per game (27.1), three-point field goal percentage (.390) and point differential (+11.8), which is the largest margin of victory since Kerr’s 1995-96 Chicago Bulls outscored the opposition by a +12.2 margin.
Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Mike Budenholzer and his staff will coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars.
The 64th NBA All-Star Game in New York City will be seen by fans in 215 countries and territories and will be heard in 47 languages. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 13th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 30th year of NBA All-Star coverage.
For more information on the Golden State Warriors 2014-15 season, presented by Kaiser Permanente, please visit warriors.com.