Embarrassed Steve Kerr Feels Terrible Over His Public Outcry That Damaged Bill Kennedy’s Reputation Online

“I don’t even understand what just happened.” Steve Kerr was left absolutely stunned after Bill Kennedy called a loose ball foul on Jonathan Kuminga in the final seconds of Wednesday’s Rockets encounter. It resulted in free throws for Jalen Green, which proved to be the game-winning buckets. Sure enough, Kerr was livid after the game and called out the officials in a raging rant, sparking massive online outrage against Kennedy from the Dub Nation. But after reflecting on his actions for a few days, the head coach issued a sincere apology to the veteran official.

Addressing his viral rant, Steve Kerr confessed in today’s presser, “I will say publicly, I am embarrassed about any time I criticize an official. After the fact, I feel terrible. I’m embarrassed by it.”

However, Kerr stood by his decision to speak up against the controversial call, “Sometimes with these games, the emotion kicks in, you say things you regret. I wouldn’t change anything about complaining about the call.”

Having been a part of this league for several decades, first as a player and now as a coach, Steve Kerr doesn’t shy away from voicing his opinions whenever he feels things are not done the right way. But the serial winner admitted he regrets publicly calling out Kennedy the way he did, and said, “Bill Kennedy is a great referee. Been in the league a long time. I feel good when I walk into the arena and I see Bill, and I feel lousy that I said what I said, you know afterwards, coz he didn’t deserve that, and that was my mistake.” Although Kerr’s apology was heartfelt, it does not take away from the fact that Bill might’ve not made the right call that night.

Was Steve Kerr’s assessment accurate in his viral rant against NBA refs?

Sure, the NBA Cup is not as prestigious as the playoffs right now, but it has managed to create a playoff-type atmosphere. That means more competitive and physical games. And calling a loose ball foul on a game-deciding play might not have been the right call from Bill Kennedy. That’s exactly what Steve Kerr said on Wednesday, “I’ve never seen a loose ball foul on a jump ball situation 80 ft from the basket with the game on the line. I’ve never seen that… This is a billion-dollar industry; we’ve got people’s jobs on the line. I’m stunned.”

Moreover, Steve Kerr highlighted that the officials did not call much harder fouls in the previous stages of the game, “The game was a complete wrestling match. They didn’t call anything.” That’s why Kerr stood by his complaint against the call even while apologizing to Kennedy… Obviously, a better decision would’ve been either calling a jump ball or giving the Rockets a timeout to set up the final play. But determining the game on free throws after a controversial call took away from the thrill of the game.

Yes, Kerr’s frustration was justified. But the criticism Kennedy received online might have been a bit too much because he is usually one of the most reliable refs in the league. As per a recent analysis done by HoopsHype of L2M decisions by officials with at least 1000 appearances since 2015-16, Kennedy ranks 14th among 87 referees, with only 3.13% incorrect or non-calls. Although the data shows the entire crew’s decision making, it gives a broad idea about Kennedy’s skill as a ref. So, his controversial decision during the NBA Cup encounter was a rare goof-up from the veteran official.