The Athletic NBA Daily: Steve Kerr on Dealing with Father Time + Saving or Scrapping the NBA Cup

Date: December 27, 2025
Host(s): Zena Keda, Robert Mays, Jason Goff
Special Guests: Sam Amick (The Athletic), Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors Head Coach)

Overview

This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily centers on major shifts within the NBA: the fate and impact of the NBA Cup, the ongoing load management debate, and a candid conversation with Warriors coach Steve Kerr about the end of an era, athlete longevity, and his own professional crossroads. The hosts are joined by NBA insider Sam Amick and, in a show highlight, Steve Kerr himself, for thoughtful and often intimate insight into the game, its players, and the future.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. The NBA Cup: Purpose, Reaction, and Future

Timestamps: 02:51–08:09

• Visual Experience & Court Designs:

  • Hosts debate the garish aesthetics of NBA Cup courts.
    • Jason Goff (02:51): "I'm more worried about my visual experience watching these crazy courts..."
    • Zena Keda (03:06): "It's a little epileptic. Sometimes I feel like I gotta pull my readers out..."
    • Sam Amick (03:30): "I want Miami. I love Miami's Club Miami..."

• Cup’s Success and Relevance:

  • The Knicks’ recent NBA Cup win sparks talk of how meaningful the Cup is, tradition-building, and what it delivers compared to European soccer tournaments.
    • Sam Amick (05:45): "You’re kind of trying to fake it till you make it with the NBA Cup, but you know, I think they're going in the right direction."
  • Long-term potential for the Cup as a coveted prize for future generations, referencing how LeBron celebrated the first one.
    • Robert Mays (07:35): “…I think 20 years down the line, you’re gonna want kids to be like, hey, I wanna win an NBA Cup at some point."

2. Load Management and the Modern NBA Schedule

Timestamps: 08:09–14:23

• Physical Toll & Frequency of Player Absences:

  • Rising injuries, especially calf strains and Achilles injuries among stars, are discussed.
    • Sam Amick (08:56): "…the nuance there on the injury front is that calf strains in particular are up and you’re talking about big time star players..."
    • Robert Mays (09:48): "There were eight Achilles tears last year..."
  • Modern style (pace, specialized moves) and AAU-overloaded path to the NBA are factors in injury rates and career longevity.
    • Robert Mays (11:17): "People don’t play other sports nowadays, so…you’ve got thousands of games on your body."
    • Jason Goff (11:24): "You played AAU from the time you were 8 years old."

• Load Management’s Double-Edged Sword:

  • The panel acknowledges fans’ disappointment when stars don’t play but also defends the need for player health, referencing how old-school "just play" thinking no longer fits.
    • Sam Amick (12:23): "…it has not aged well in terms of the simple idea that just get the hell out there and play."
  • Economic/broadcast realities put tension on the league’s priorities vs. in-person fan experience.
    • Sam Amick (14:23): "…the dirty little secret is that the fans in the arena, like, it is a very flawed experience. And the league's focus…extends well beyond the arena."

3. “Clunky” End-of-Game Situations in the NBA

Timestamps: 14:53–18:34

• Late-Game Fouling and Flow:
  • Hosts react to criticism of "herky jerky" NBA finishes, especially the drawn-out endings with repeated intentional fouls.
    • Zena Keda (15:22): "It sucks for the flow of the game…I became a fan at that moment and…I vividly remember finding myself slowly getting back down in my seat because it ended up being a competition of free throw routines..."
  • Discussion of the Elam Ending (used in All-Star Games and other leagues) as a possible, if radical, solution.
    • Sam Amick (17:21): "…that is most often the possible solution that gets brought up…You go back to 2020, they integrated that into the All Star game…and it worked for a year."
  • Split opinions: Is intentional fouling necessary drama or a detriment to NBA closers’ skills?
    • Robert Mays (17:44): "To me, like, watching a player not be able to shoot free throws, I think…it speaks to talent evaluation. It speaks to roster [construction]."

4. Main Story: Steve Kerr – Aging, Dynasties, and the Future

Timestamps: 21:17–35:07

Athlete Longevity & Personal Insight

• New generation (LeBron 41, Steph & KD 37): Kerr reflects on how much science, training, and resources have changed, allowing stars to play longer—if they have the love for it.
  • Steve Kerr (22:21): “Michael Jordan was probably the first guy to ever have his own private trainer. Now, every player...has a private trainer…Because we love it so much…these days you can keep going till 40 or longer.”
• Candid about his own retirement:
  • Steve Kerr (23:42): "My knees are killing me. It's time.”
  • Steve Kerr (24:52): "…the only guys who keep going and play at a high level are the ones who love what they do…When it was time, it was time."

On Dynasties: Realization and Closure

• As someone involved in three dynastic teams, Kerr describes how you recognize (or sometimes miss) those moments and when you feel the end approaching.

  • Steve Kerr (24:52): “With the Bulls…they were already a dynasty…With the Spurs…I don’t know that I even knew I was part of a dynasty while I was there…And then this one [Warriors] sort of snuck up on us.”

• Regarding the Warriors' Dynasty:

  • Steve Kerr (25:46): “Well, it is closing as we speak…what we’re hanging onto is the idea that we still have something left in the tank…there is something beautiful in the fight, in the quest.”

Making the Call to Walk Away (or Not)

• Kerr acknowledges the reality that very few players/coaches get to retire by choice rather than injury or being forced out.

  • Steve Kerr (27:18): “…the vast majority of players either leave because of injury or because the team no longer wants them. And I worry about a lot of guys who retire and aren’t sure what to do with themselves…”

• On his post-coaching future—uncertain, possibly harder than retiring as a player:

  • Steve Kerr (28:17): “I think I might go through that when I retire from coaching because it’s going to be a much more difficult transition for me. But I don't know what I'm going to do..."

Will He Stick Around for a Warriors Rebuild?

• Kerr is direct that he's not interested in rebuilding elsewhere, and his bond with Curry is a real one.

  • Steve Kerr (32:31): "First of all, I will never leave Steph Curry. I can tell you that. I love that.”

• On what might end his coaching career? The grind of travel and late nights, not just losing or roster changes.

  • Steve Kerr (32:43): “I think the one thing that I think will take me out of coaching is the travel. Honestly…”

Notable Quote on Legacy and Satisfaction

• Steve Kerr (34:24): "I don’t have a bucket list. I don't have, you know, a list of things that I have to accomplish, and then I'm done…A wise man once said, life happens while we’re making plans, and I believe that."

5. Panel Reaction to Kerr & the NBA’s Future

Timestamps: 35:23–39:22

• Sam Amick notes that Kerr seems “seriously contemplating what comes after this season,” highlighting the real possibility that the Warriors’ dynasty is in its final chapter. (35:23)
• Zena notes seeing Kerr visibly pause and reflect, “it was hard for him to find the words, to figure out what that next step is.” (35:52)
• Hosts discuss the upcoming passing of the torch—whether the league is in good hands as "the uncles" (LeBron, Steph, KD) approach retirement. Young stars like SGA, Luka, Jokic, Wemby come up as evidence the league will stay strong, but concern is noted about the state of American-bred basketball.
  • Robert Mays (37:09): "I'm worried about American basketball in a way that I haven't been in a long time...American basketball still has to be propped up a little bit."
  • Sam Amick (37:51): "I love where the league's at because I know the American thing is going to work itself out...the idea that you can have the ascension of the young stars coming at a time when those Unks...are still doing it at this level."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Cup Aesthetics:
  Zena Keda (03:06): “Take me to the pits of hell. I want the Rockets. I want the Indiana. Miami...I love Miami's Club Miami.”
• On the NBA Cup:
  Sam Amick (05:45): “We know the tenor of this conversation, which is, it's not a championship...But absolutely...the Knicks are a really good team. They won the, you know, this championship. I don’t see them winning the whole thing. But the allure of the cup that I do like is...the vibes are good.”
• On Load Management:
  Sam Amick (12:23): “It has not aged well in terms of the simple idea that just get the hell out there and play.”
• On Coaching Longevity:
  Steve Kerr (32:43): “I think the one thing that I think will take me out of coaching is the travel. Honestly...”
• On Purpose and Satisfaction:
  Steve Kerr (34:24): “A wise man once said, life happens while we’re making plans, and I believe that.”
• On Not Leaving Steph:
  Steve Kerr (32:31): "First of all, I will never leave Steph Curry. I can tell you that."

Breakdown by Major Segments

| Segment | Main Topic(s) Covered | Notable Quotes | Start Time | |--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------| | NBA Cup Aesthetics and Relevance | Wild court designs, tradition-building | "It's a little epileptic..." | 02:51 | | Load Management Reality | Injuries, scheduling, fan frustrations | "It has not aged well..." | 08:09 | | End-of-Game Problem-Solving | Fouling, Elam Ending, flow of the game | "It sucks for the flow of the game..." | 14:53 | | Steve Kerr on Longevity, Dynasties, Future | Candid interview, retirement, meaning of success | "Michael Jordan was the first..." | 21:17 | | Panel Reflection on NBA’s Future | Passing the torch, global vs. American basketball | "I'm worried about American basketball..."| 36:39 |

Final Thoughts

The episode delivers a nuanced, insightful discussion on NBA tradition vs. innovation, the realities of athlete longevity, and the bittersweet transition that faces today’s iconic stars and coaches. Steve Kerr’s wisdom about both basketball and life stands out, with moments of humor and genuine reflection. As the NBA navigates the present and plans for a post-LeBron/Curry era, both the league and Kerr himself are—like many listeners—“hanging in for one more run,” savoring the journey as much as the destination.