LAST DANCE?: Green doubts Kerr’s return; Wemby wins DPOY

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green said Monday he believes Steve Kerr may not return as coach of the franchise next season following his team’s exit from the National Basketball Association (NBA) play-in tournament.

Speaking on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” Green said that while he wanted Kerr to continue, he suspected the 60-year-old would bring the curtain down on his 12-season coaching career with the Warriors.

“I hope he’s our coach next season,” Green said. “You want my opinion? I think not. Just because it feels like that. It felt like that was it.”

Kerr shared an emotional moment with Green and Warriors ace Stephen Curry immediately after the team were eliminated from the postseason in a 111-96 loss to Phoenix on Friday.

“These jobs all have an expiration date,” Kerr said afterwards before adding that he would take some time to ponder his future.

“It may still go on. It may not,” Kerr said. “But we all need to step away a little bit and then reconvene.”

Kerr has overseen a dynastic era during his reign at Golden State, overseeing four NBA championships in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.

While Kerr has left the door open to a return next season, courtside microphones caught him telling Green and Curry during their huddle on Friday: “I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I love you guys to death. Thank you.”

Curry said he didn’t know if it was a precursor to an official goodbye.

“I don’t know if that’s a signal of anything,” Curry said.

“It’s just that we wanted to appreciate what we have all poured into this journey.”

Meanwhile, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) on Monday, becoming the first unanimous winner in the award’s 43-year history.

France international Wembanyama, a generational talent who has helped transform San Antonio into title contenders, earned a perfect 100 votes in the media ballot.

Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren came in second in the voting, with Detroit’s Ausar Thompson ranked third.

The win marked another milestone in the meteoric rise of Wembanyama, who at 22 is the youngest player in history to win the honor.

“I’m super, super happy to win this award and actually super proud to be the first-ever unanimous,” Wembanyama told NBC Sports Network following the award.

The 7-foot-4 Frenchman has been billed as the future face of the NBA ever since he landed in the league after being chosen by San Antonio with the top overall pick in the 2023 Draft.

Mixing prodigious defense with a potent offense, Wembanyama has excelled again this season and is regarded as one of the front-runners for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award.

Wembanyama led the league in blocks per game (3.08) for a third straight season and helped lead the Spurs to the No. 3 ranking in defensive ratings.

On Sunday, Wembanyama lit up the playoffs in his first postseason game, scoring 35 points to go with five rebounds and two blocks as San Antonio defeated the Portland Trail Blazers.