Written by Tim McMahon at ESPN.com
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr says he would be willing to cut his own salary if the NBA shortened the schedule as a potential solution to the issue of stars resting during regular-season games as preventative maintenance.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to it, even at the expense to my own salary, but it’s something that everyone would have to agree to,” Kerr said before Tuesday night’s 112-87 win over the Dallas Mavericks. “I think even just going down to 75 games, I think that would make a dramatic difference in schedule. Now I don’t see that happening because there is money at stake for everybody.
“I do think this can be remedied though — maybe not remedied — but I think it can be dramatically helped with what the league is already working on for next year and the consideration of geographics when it comes to the schedule.”
Rest is a hot-button issue in the NBA in part because the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers sat their best players in the past two ABC Saturday night games. Those games are showcase events in the nine-year, $24 billion national television deal the NBA signed with ESPN, ABC and Turner Sports.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver called the practice of resting stars “an extremely significant issue for our league” in a memo sent to team owners and obtained by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
Silver’s memo stated that the issue would be a prime topic of discussion during the league’s board of governors meeting April 6 in New York and implored owners to be involved in the decision-making process on this issue due to the impact it can have on the NBA’s “fans and business partners,” the reputation of the league and “perception of our game.”
“I thought [the memo] was smart,” said Kerr, whose team wrapped up a grueling stretch of schedule with a back-to-back in Minnesota and San Antonio when the Warriors’ stars rested against the Spurs. “I think this is something that every organization needs to partner together with the league and our broadcasting partners and figure out what’s best for everybody. We all have the same interests at heart, which is we need to do what’s best for the league. But there are great arguments on every side.
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