OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Steve Kerr joked around on what became a post-mosh Monday, feeling some of the natural pressure before his Golden State Warriors get going at last with all the weight of trying to win another NBA championship on their star-studded shoulders.
The reigning NBA Coach of the Year said he cut short practice given Kevin Durant's jostling in the mosh pit at a Kanye West concert the previous evening.
"He got a great workout last night," Kerr said with a smile.
Kanye performed at Oracle Arena, where KD will become THE show tonight for the defending Western Conference champions. And MVP Stephen Curry, too, of course.
"We all have pressure. That's a good thing," Kerr said Monday. "The alternative is, 'Maybe we can win 30 this year instead of 25.' Who wants that? Unfortunately, a lot of the teams in the league have that, teams that are going through rebuilding stuff, and they're trying to get where we are. So we're in a really enviable position. We know how lucky we are to be together with this group. We understand the responsibility that comes with it, and that's fine. It's a good position to be in."
Four months after squandering a 3-1 series lead and losing Game 7 of the NBA Finals to LeBron James and Cleveland, the Warriors are ready to start fresh without any thought on chasing the regular-season wins record they now hold at 73. They will host San Antonio and Kerr's former coach and mentor, Gregg Popovich, tonight.
"It's the Spurs, so it makes it even more fun," Kerr said.
Kerr has said all along Durant would need time to adjust.
"He's light years beyond where he was three weeks ago," Kerr said. "He's embracing the chaos, for sure."
With Durant and so many new players, Kerr still expects everything to take time before the Warriors really start clicking. Kerr wasn't even on the bench for last season's opener, missing the initial 43 games and a record 24-0 start while dealing with complications from a pair of back surgeries.
Next week might be even bigger for Durant, whose former Oklahoma City Thunder visit Nov. 3. Golden State rallied from 3-1 down to beat OKC in the Western Conference Finals.
Durant's departure was a big deal. It still is.
"I think they're just looking for something to grab onto and make it a story," Durant said. "We understand that. That's one thing I actually didn't understand coming in here. Everything's going to be taken and used as a headline. It's definitely a learning experience for me not used to all this coverage around a team. That's just part of the job. That's why we get paid the way we do and that's why we are who we are as players. You're kind of prone to criticism."