• DeMarcus Cousins publicly criticized Steve Kerr for saying the Warriors shouldn’t expect to compete for titles every season.
• Cousins said Kerr’s remarks undermine confidence in the locker room and reflect poor leadership messaging.
• Kerr made the comments on the Tom Tolbert Show; Cousins addressed them on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back.
Cousins calls out Steve Kerr for lowering expectations
Former Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins weighed in sharply after coach Steve Kerr suggested Golden State shouldn’t assume it will compete for championships every season. On FanDuel TV’s Run It Back, Cousins said Kerr’s public framing sends the wrong message to players and fans.
“I don’t like it one bit,” Cousins said. “If this was a player saying this, how it would be viewed? This doesn’t instill confidence in your locker room. To me it actually shows who is the real problem in this situation.”
Cousins, who played for Golden State in 2018-19, argued that comments that lower expectations can spread through a team and weaken belief.
Where the comments came from
Steve Kerr offered the remarks during an appearance on the Tom Tolbert Show, where he pushed back on the idea that the Warriors should expect to chase titles every year.
Kerr said he did not want fans or media to be “disillusioned” into thinking the franchise should operate like past dynastic teams and expect a title run annually. You can watch the full Tolbert Show segment here:
Embedded post: YouTube — Tom Tolbert Show (timestamped segment) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaTVqExRDRA&t=1907s
Leadership, messaging and locker-room impact
Cousins framed the debate as one about leadership and voice. He suggested a coach publicly expressing doubt about title chances is different from internal realism and ultimately harms team confidence.
“You’re speaking down on your team,” Cousins said. “You’re not really instilling confidence in this group … This type of message, this type of energy, this type of lack of confidence in your group, it’s only going to spread with the rest of the guys.”
He also noted a double standard: a player making such public remarks would face harsher consequences than a coach. “If the roles were reversed and this was a player speaking in this way, his name would be tarnished,” Cousins said. “So I think the same thing applies to this coach. I disagree with everything he says.”
What’s next for the Warriors?
Kerr emphasized perspective and process as Golden State navigates the later stage of its dynasty. He framed his comments as realism rather than defeatism. Cousins, however, urged that belief must be cultivated from the top and maintained publicly to keep a winning culture intact.
For fans and observers, the exchange spotlights a recurring question for veteran franchises: how much should leaders temper public expectations without eroding internal confidence? The debate is likely to continue as the Warriors’ season progresses.
Tags: steve kerr, DeMarcus Cousins, Golden State Warriors, NBA, Run It Back, Tom Tolbert Show
Image Referance: https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/demarcus-cousins-steve-kerr-comments-warriors-title-chances/1904897/
