- The NBA champion Golden State Warriors could be without head coach Steve Kerr for the start of the 2015-16 season after he took a leave of absence on Thursday as he recovers from back surgery. Kerr, 50, who guided the Warriors to the NBA championship in his first season in charge, had surgery to repair a ruptured disc in late July and then a follow-up procedure last month. "After the first two days of training camp, I realized I need to take a step back and focus on my rehabilitation in order to be ready for the grind of another NBA season," Kerr said in a statement.