Steve Kerr is reportedly stepping down as the head coach of the USA Basketball men’s team following their Olympic gold win in Paris. According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, Kerr is expected to be replaced by either Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra or Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, both of whom assisted him in Paris.
Kerr, a four-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, joined Team USA three years ago, working under Gregg Popovich after the 2016 Olympics. He was part of the coaching staff when USA Basketball secured gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Kerr took over from Popovich after Tokyo but will now step aside, despite leading Team USA to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and rebounding with gold in Paris, with stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry on the roster.
The USA team dominated in Paris, winning all their group-stage games by double digits, and narrowly defeating a Serbian team led by NBA MVP Nikola Jokić in the semifinals, before holding off France, led by Victor Wembanyama, in the gold-medal game. This victory marked Team USA’s fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal. Kerr joined the elite ranks of coaches like Popovich, Rudy Tomjanovich, Lenny Wilkens, and Chuck Daly, who have won both an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal as head coach.
Kerr’s successor, whether Spoelstra or Lue, will lead Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Spoelstra, with a 750-527 (.587) record over 17 seasons, has led the Miami Heat to six NBA Finals, winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. Lue, with a 312-217 (.590) record as an NBA head coach, famously led LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 2016 NBA Finals victory over Kerr’s Warriors.
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