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Kendra AndrewsESPN
SAN FRANCISCO – Golden Empire Warriors Head coach Steve Kerr has tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Monday night.
He joined the league’s health and safety protocols and was not benched for Monday’s 101-98 win in the past 4 game. Memphis Grizzlies.
Deputy head coach Mike Brown took over the coaching duties.
“Obviously there are butterflies, because again you’re going into the game with a certain mindset and it’s a big game. Every game that we play at this time of year, it’s very big,” Brown, who agreed on Sunday to become Sacramento Kings New coach after running after this season. “So to have that kind of throw at you, you have to shift gears because I know my responsibility as Mike Brown is the assistant coach, and it’s going to change.”
But Brown has done this before. He led the Warriors to an 11-0 record during the 2017 championship as Kerr faced debilitating symptoms from complications from back surgery two years earlier.
“His head coach record in the Warrior playoffs I think is undefeated, ” Klay Thompson speak. “We missed Steve so much, just his voice, his presence, but we’ve been here before, in 2017 when Mike took over and we won a lot, so I’ve been thinking about that a lot.”
Kerr wore a mask for several days before testing positive on Monday. It’s unclear if he will travel with the Warriors on Tuesday to Memphis for Game 5 of Wednesday’s Western Conference semifinals.
The Warriors currently lead a 3-1 streak.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
