Last year, Steve Kerr had to take a leave of absence from coaching the Golden State Warriors due to health issues. On Monday, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue announced he’d be taking a leave of absence himself for the same reason.
After the news broke that Lue would need to take time away from the Cavaliers to get healthy, Kerr was approached by reporters and opened up about the situation.
Steve Kerr, who missed a chunk of the playoffs last season for health reasons, on Ty Lue's current leave of absence pic.twitter.com/PQ1fVQxn1z
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 19, 2018
“I feel for Ty,” Kerr said. “And we’ve been in contact… Health is everything. This game is fun and it’s exciting and we all love our jobs, but we just want to be healthy.”
Kerr said he hopes Lue can get back on the sidelines for the Cavaliers soon, because “he’s a great guy, he’s a great representative for their team and the league and we just want him back.”
The coach also said “it’s not easy” trying to balance health with the team, especially during this time of year when the playoffs are just around the corner.
Right now, Cleveland has a record of 40-29 and is the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, just one-half game ahead of the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers, and 1.5 games ahead of the No. 6 seed Philadelphia 76ers.