Golden State Warriors Rumors: Head Coach Steve Kerr Takes Leave of Absence to Recover from Surgery

By Cheri Cheng - 02 Oct '15 10:41AM

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has decided to take a leave of absence in order to recover and rehabilitate from back surgery, the team announced on Thursday. Luke Walton will become the interim coach for the defending NBA Champions.

"After the first two days of training camp, I realized I need to take a step back and focus on my rehabilitation in order to be ready for the grind of another NBA season," Kerr said in a statement. "As I noted last week, my summer was difficult and no fun due to the multiple back surgeries. At this point, I simply want to get healthy and back to my normal daily routine on and off the court."

The Warriors do not know how long Kerr will be out. Kerr underwent two surgeries to repair a ruptured disc in his back that he sustained during Game 5 of the NBA Finals. His first surgery was on July 28 and his second was on Sept. 4.

"At this point, the most important thing is to make sure Steve is healthy, completely recovered and ready for not only the rigors of a long N.B.A. season, but day-to-day life in general," General Manager Bob Myers said. "We don't anticipate the recovery process will be long term, but as of today, we don't know the exact time frame. We'll evaluate his progress daily."

"Our biggest concern is for his health," Walton said. "We know he's going to get better, but on a friend level, it's always hard to see someone you hold in high regard and care about, not able to really do what they love to do."

He added during Thursday's practice, "We'll keep this ship moving in the right direction until our captain can return."

Walton was an assistant last season when the Warriors won the NBA Championships for the first time in 40 years. He was later promoted to the lead assistant position after Alvin Gentry was hired as the head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Even though there is no time frame for Kerr's return, a source stated according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that the team is hoping Kerr will be back for the season opener on Oct. 27.