STEVE KERR SAYS LEBRON JAMES NEVER CAME CLOSE TO WARRIORS MOVE

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has said reports linking LeBron James to a move to the Warriors this summer amounted to speculation rather than a genuine prospect. Speaking on The Tom Tolbert Show, Kerr addressed talk that James might join Stephen Curry and Draymond Green at Golden State after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers. James instead signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. Kerr said he did not believe he would face any penalty for saying it never felt as though James was coming to the Warriors.

Kerr said that had a move genuinely been in motion, the club would have had a clearer sense of it developing. He also said some Warriors supporters had approached him to say they were relieved James had not signed, with one telling him James was "not supposed to be on our team" because "he's a rival". Kerr said he found the reaction interesting, and suggested some fans prefer certain rivalries to remain intact rather than see opposing stars unite. He compared the James-Curry dynamic to that of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Curry and James previously met across four consecutive NBA Finals in the 2010s, with the Warriors winning three of those series.

Kerr said this was not the first time he has addressed suggestions that the Warriors came close to signing James in free agency. He did not set out any further plans regarding the club's roster. James' move to the 76ars was confirmed as part of this summer's free agency period following his departure from the Lakers.