What’s happening?!

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is one of my heroes. But his recent quote conceding to corporate values had me asking what’s happening?! Maybe that’s why ChatGPT made him look so grim in this here illustration.

Replace the voice of negativity in the head with a team of Sages. Summon the souls of people who practice virtues you value. They could be people you know personally, from afar, or from history. My spiritual exemplar, Marcus Aurelus, leads my team. Take your Sages with you in spirit wherever you go. Imagine them observing you navigate life and lending you emotional support. Ask your team for help when you encounter obstacles, and imagine how they would handle the situation.

—Good Vibes

The Golden State Warriors have been my favorite sports squad since I was a lowercase j running around the Bay in hi-tops with something that vaguely resembled a hi-top fade. And their current coach, Steve Kerr? 

That man’s a charter member of my Sage Squad.

We’ve never met in real life, but he’s still someone I call in when I don’t know what to do. He leads with empathy, curiosity, humility, courage, and a genuine love for humanity. I voted for Love in the last presidential election because I didn’t think either candidate would make a good president—but I considered writing in Coach Kerr. He’s one of the few living humans I could imagine doing that job well.

Which is why this quote from him about potentially shortening the NBA season—something the Warriors’ own medical staff says would protect player health—floored me:

“The tricky part is all the constituents would have to agree to take less revenue. In 2025 in America, good luck in any industry. Imagine some big company saying, ‘We’re not as concerned about our stock price. We’re actually concerned with employing people and giving people a stable job and making our product better.’ That’s not happening. You know that.”

Coach Kerr… what’s happenin’?!

This doesn’t sound like the Steve Kerr who knocked down a championship-winning jumper, stood up to Michael Jordan in practice, and built a dynasty out of joy, movement, and selflessness. This sounds like someone who’s given up.

If Coach Kerr walked into the Warriors’ locker room at halftime and said, “Alright fellas… we’re cooked,” my squad is getting smoked in the second half guaranteed.

That’s how the universe works: a negative mindset delivers a negative reality. We speak things into existence.

Steve Kerr is one of the most competitive humans alive. He inspired me to dig deep when I was down in the dumps. Yet here he is conceding to corporate values—driven solely by profit and nothing else—and giving up on human values like dignity, fairness, care, love, joy, and loyalty. 

I love you, Coach Kerr. But I’m not rollin with you on this one.
If you’re truly about protecting players, then don’t lament the lack of leadership—step up and be the change.  

Someone once said that every time you point your finger at someone, there’s three fingers pointing back at you.

Coach Kerr, if the league won’t reduce the number of games to protect player health…

Why not strike until they do?

You’re Steve Kerr.
People listen to you.
Coaches respect and revere you—they’d follow.

Players and fans would love you even more than they already do.

If you said, “These players’ bodies matter more than your TV contracts,” you would spark a movement. You could create the kind of world your quote suggests is impossible.

Put your money where your mouth is, Coach.
This isn’t the same guy who challenged MJ.

This sounds like a man more about cashin dem checks than advancing justice.

Make no mistake, Steve Kerr could retire tomorrow and live in the lap of luxury for the rest of his life. He could strike indefinitely without missing a single slice of avocado toast. But instead he virtue-signals while cashin dem checks and letting injustice slide.

You better than this, Coach. 

Sometimes, we gotta take one for the team, even if it causes us some personal pain.

I’m leading by example and folding into a reality where we elevate human values over corporate values. A reality where we put people and the planet over profits. A reality where courage is a team sport.

And if I have to leave some of my Sages behind to get there, I’m ok with it.

As Paulo Coelho wrote:

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.”

Steve Kerr will always be one of my heroes.
But sometimes even our heroes miss the mark.