‘Frustrated’ Steve Kerr launches an NSFW verbal attack after Nikola Jokic’s 18 free throw attempts against the Warriors: “It was disgusting!”

Steve Kerr claimed the referees are destroying the game after Nikola Jokic went 18-18 from free throws to beat the Golden State Warriors.

‘Frustrated’ Steve Kerr launches an NSFW verbal attack after Nikola Jokic’s 18 free throw attempts against the Warriors: “It was disgusting!”

Steve Kerr was disgusted with the extreme number of free throws Nikola Jokic received against them (Image via Open Source, X)

Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic had a field day from the free throw line during the Christmas Day showdown against the Golden State Warriors. Steve Kerr however, was left utterly impressed after the Serbian’s 26-point double-double against his team.

The Warriors fouled Nikola Jokic 12 times, who went 18-18 from the free-throw line. That affected the game enough to hand Kerr’s team the loss. The head coach was asked specifically about those free throws during the post-game press conference. Speaking with Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Kerr replied;

I have a problem with the way we are legislating defense out of the game. We're just enabling players to BS their way to the foul line. If I were a fan, I wouldn't have wanted to watch the second half. It was disgusting.

He added that referees are being taught to call fouls on every contact, which takes away the quality of defense in games. In Kerr’s opinion, players are now more focused on drawing opposing players to fouls than actually playing the game. This results in the flow and competitiveness of the game are diminishing, as per the Warriors Head Coach.

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Jokic had a total of 26 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists. 18 of those points came from the free throws. He had an otherwise off-shooting night, going 4 of 12 from the field. Superstar teammate Jamal Murray also chipped in with 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists to play his part in the 120-114 win over the Warriors.

Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 22 points and 3 rebounds. He was the only Warriors player with more than 20 points. Stephen Curry was woeful from the field by his standards, shooting 33.3 percent from the field and especially 23.1 percent from beyond the arc. He finished with 18 points and 4 assists.

The Warriors and Nuggets on Christmas Day

The best of the best get to play Christmas Day primetime games. The league obviously is always on the lookout for maximum viewership on what is one of the biggest holidays of the year. Elite teams facing each other also tends to be what the fans want to see. Hence, the dynastical Warriors going up against the defending champions, the Nuggets was always going to prove a blockbuster. This is the 11th time in a row the Warriors have played on Christmas day.

Nikola Jokic was fouled 12 times by the Warriors and shot a perfect 18-18 free throws to beat them
Nikola Jokic was fouled 12 times by the Warriors and shot a perfect 18-18 free throws to beat them (image via Open Source, X)

The Denver Nuggets on the other hand have a record of 2-2 in Christmas Day games in the Nikola Jokic era. Last year’s Christmas Day win over the Phoenix Suns culminated in the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship. This match was supposed to be a surefire epic as well.

Hence, for free throws to decide a game that saw 9 lead changes, it was obvious a rant was coming from someone from the Warriors organization. Head coach Steve Kerr did the honors by voicing his opinion, and will be hoping that the league takes his comments seriously.

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