NEW YORK, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is back on the bench for the first time this season, ending a long leave of absence to steer the defending champions against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, the team said.
Kerr began his leave on Oct. 1 to focus on recovering from a pair of off-season back operations after leading the Warriors to a franchise-record 67 regular-season wins and the team's first NBA title in 40 years.
A veteran of 15 NBA campaigns as a player, the 50-year-old underwent surgery to repair a ruptured disc in July and had a follow-up procedure in September.