Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, signed a $35 million, two-year contract extension on Friday. With a $17.5 million yearly compensation, Kerr is now the highest paid basketball coach. However, he is not the only person that has worth in their x’s and o’s. The NBA’s four highest-paid coaches are listed here, along with the reasons behind their generous pay.
Steve Kerr Kerr is going to be remembered as one of the greatest coaches in history. Most people credit him for helping Stephen Curry reach his greatest potential as a coach. In addition, he oversaw a group that completely changed the way we perceive the game. The days of guards who couldn’t space the floor and post-up bigs who did nothing else are long gone. To survive in the NBA, you need to be able to accomplish a wide range of tasks on the court, unless you have an exceptionally gifted skill set.
Though it appears that this extension stems more from what Kerr did than from what he’s doing, his influence on the game cannot be disputed. Kerr is under fire since the Warriors are currently the 10th seed in the Western Conference. There have been mistakes made by the championship coach, such as dubious lineup rotations and a refusal to change the starting lineup. It’s unclear if this is merely a “Thank You” from the office or a sincere demonstration of faith. It is known that Kerr is the best paid coach in the sport at the moment.
It is hardly necessary to introduce Gregg Popovich; the San Antonio Spurs owe a great deal of their success to the seasoned coach. Popovich is the team’s president of basketball operations and has a five-year, $80 million contract.
After Kawhi Leonard left the Spurs via free agency, they were somewhat of a wreck. Desperate attempts to stay competitive with players such as Demar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge failed, so the front staff decided to cut their losses and tank in the hopes of finding a brilliant prospect. And like with Tim Duncan and David Robinson, they were handed a frontcourt talent of a generation. Victor Wembanyama is a franchise building brick that every general manager would kill for, since he has demonstrated his incredible potential. The Spurs believe Pop can right the ship and put the team back in the running. The Hall of Fame coach seems up to the chore of steering this team in the proper direction, but it will require some astute free-agency acquisitions and drafting.
Erik Spoelstra Like Clockwork, there are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and the Miami Heat’s deep run in the postseason. Even though their squad doesn’t seem particularly good on paper, Erik Spoelstra has built a fantastic roster and developed players.
With the exception of a brief dry spell following LeBron James’ departure and the odd bad season, the Heat has always been a well-oiled machine. One big reason this continues happening is Spoelstra. Because of Spoelstra’s ability to coach and develop, players like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo buy into his strict defensive system, and role players frequently step up at crucial times
