While there is plenty of discourse about the media’s coverage of the NBA, Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes it’s a reflection of modern society as a whole rather than a basketball issue.

Before the Warriors’ 121-119 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night at Barclays Center, Kerr detailed how social media and a 24/7 news cycle has impacted the perception of sports media coverage.

“I just think anything like that is more of a reflection of modern society than media itself,” Kerr told reporters. “Growing up, I read everything. I grew up in LA, huge Laker fan. I remember the media writing Magic Johnson went things went wrong in LA his first couple years and he got ripped. But he didn’t have a phone in his hand with fans telling him that he sucked.

“There was a column, and maybe there was talk radio. It was pretty easy to avoid that stuff. I know when I played, social media didn’t exist. I tried to avoid everything and it was actually really easy to avoid. Today it’s impossible to avoid that stuff if you’re a player. So, I don’t think the media is covering the game any differently. There was plenty of negative stuff back in the day, that’s part of being in the limelight. It’s just the volume, the sheer volume of media, the access that the players have to so much of the commentary that they can’t get away from.

“I think that’s overwhelming in a lot of ways. In a very similar way to the rest of society, whether it’s politics or social media for kids in junior high, high school, none of it’s healthy right now — we know that. But as far as how the media in general is covering the athletes, I don’t think it’s any different now than it was.”

Kerr experienced plenty of this firsthand during his 15-year NBA career. The Warriors coach shared a poignant story from his playing days that shaped his decision to actively avoid reading media coverage about him or his teammates on the Chicago Bulls

“I read a story, I was trying out for the Bulls and I was having a great camp. I had a non-guaranteed contract. I picked up the Chicago Tribune and Sam Smith had a story that I was probably going to get cut,” Kerr said. “I was shocked and crushed and the next day I had a lousy practice because it was on my mind.

“It dawned on me I would be better served not reading that stuff. I blamed Sam later when I got to know him because it was untrue. I made the team, but from that point on I just said, ‘You know what, I’d be better off not reading the Chicago Tribune.’ The internet didn’t exist, so in order to get box scores, I still wanted to look at the paper. I think I went to USA Today because I knew there wouldn’t be many Bulls articles.”

While sports evoke strong emotions from fans and players alike, it’s always important to remember we’re all human at the end of the day.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast