Sometimes, change is necessary for a coach to reach his full potential.
On Friday, a four-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors coach arrived at that realization, unexpectedly leaving the NBA to coach superstar Sabrina Ionescu in the WNBA.
“The New York Liberty have agreed on a deal to hire Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as their new head coach,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on X/Twitter.
“DeMarco has been with the Warriors since 2012, winning four NBA titles. He also serves as head coach of the Bahamian men's national team.”
“Liberty officials and DeMarco's agent, Brian Elfus, finalized terms on the deal Friday. DeMarco has served in a variety of roles in Golden State, serving as a valuable member of Steve Kerr's staff.”
While Kerr will always receive a bulk of the credit for the Warriors’ high-level postseason success from 2014-2022 and Stephen Curry’s ascension to stardom in the Bay, DeMarco deserves his share of love as a respected assistant.
There’s a reason the 40-year-old managed to retain the same position with the Dubs in a league where constant movement (whether players or coaches) is common.
More often than not, several behind-the-scenes suggestions and actions help a franchise take a positive step forward, which is likely what DeMarco offered the Dubs during his nearly 14-year stint with the storied organization.
DeMarco will now get a prime opportunity to call all of the shots as the head coach of the Liberty moving forward.
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