Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr completed a decade in charge of the franchise this season, his first-ever NBA coaching job. Modern fans will remember Kerr exclusively as a coach but the older fans will remember Kerr was once the General Manager of the Phoenix Suns from 2004 to 2010.
In the wake of the Luka Doncic trade and the backlash against the Dallas Mavericks and GM Nico Harrison, coach Kerr discussed the time he received death threats for trading Shawn Marion for Shaquille O'Neal.
“I traded Shawn Marion for Shaq and I got death threats, email death threats. Our security in Phoenix looked into it. I was never overly concerned, I just took it for what it was, but it is still pretty concerning when someone threatens your life."
"I feel for Nico, this is a tough enough business already. Everybody has to make tough decisions. Everybody is emotional, but there has to be a line that exists.”
These quotes came before the Warriors matched up against the Mavericks and lost their game 113-107 in a tense clash. Coach Kerr is empathizing with Mavs GM Nico Harrison, who has reportedly faced death threats which the Mavericks have dealt with internally instead of involving local law enforcement.
Mavericks fans protested Harrison and the decision to trade Doncic, so Kerr comparing this situation to his trading Marion away isn't like-for-like.
Marion was a Suns legend who played for the franchise from 1999 to 2008. He had become one of the biggest names on the franchise through the 2000s, helping the Suns in multiple Playoff battles, However, Marion would get shipped to the Miami Heat to bring a 36-year-old Shaquille O'Neal to the Suns.
O'Neal might have been a massive name, but he was clearly a shell of the player he was in LA. While he was still an All-Star caliber center, most Suns fans didn't understand why the franchise moved off a loyal star like Marion for a regressing Shaq.
In two seasons with the Suns, O'Neal helped the franchise get a first-round elimination in 2008 before missing the Playoff altogether in 2009, the first time O'Neal failed to make the Playoffs in his career. He would be traded after the 08-09 season to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the Suns contending window firmly shut behind them.
He averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds with the franchise.
Marion wouldn't last long with the Heat, getting traded half a season later to the Toronto Raptors, where he only played one season. The Suns' nightmares came true after losing Marion, as he joined the rival Dallas Mavericks after the 08-09 season, where he'd spend five years and win a championship as a major contributor.
The Suns' fanbase loved Marion's style of play and dedication to playing hard, something a 36-year-old Shaq was the opposite of. While Suns fans were upset at Kerr and might have issued death threats, it isn't the same as what the Mavericks have done by trading their franchise superstar for weak reasons and alienating most of their fans.
