The NBA Finals: Coaching up the rookie coaches

Steve Kerr and David Blatt, both in their first year as head coaches, steered the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the most improbable NBA Finals match-up in league history. Now what?

By Andrew Pridgen

The most notable portion of ESPN’s confetti-soaked post-game after the Warriors got their (literal) heads on straight and dispatched of the irksome Houston Rockets Wednesday was a pan over to Draymond Green in a warm embrace with former coach and current color guy Mark Jackson. Jackson was welling up with tears as Green whispered in his free ear the code only pro athletes know.

Co-commentator Jeff Van Gundy in a sticky moment tried to elicit a comment from Jackson. When asked how that embrace, and several others like it from members of his former team, made him feel, Jackson wiped a tear like a dad at graduation and said, “Proud.”

He meant it.