In June 2014, a month after taking the Warriors’ head-coaching job, Steve Kerr hired Ron Adams as an assistant.
An NBA institution, Adams provided more than one of the league’s great defensive minds. His extensive experience on the bench made him an important resource as Kerr acclimated to coaching for the first time.
Now, for the second straight year, Adams is assisting a much-younger colleague while Kerr takes an indefinite hiatus to deal with chronic pain. It is a role that might frustrate some coaches with Adams’ pedigree. But for a man who fashions himself more of a teacher than a coach, the chance to help someone else progress in his career is reward enough.