Kerr Walks Back Remarks on Kristaps Porzingis; Golden State Warriors Coach Calls It a 'Stupid Mistake'
Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis will miss a fourth consecutive game with a general illness, and coach Steve Kerr publicly retracted earlier remarks about the player's medical condition, calling his prior statements a "stupid mistake. " The move to step back matters because it shifts responsibility for explaining Porzingis' health to medical professionals and underscores uncertainty around his near-term availability.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr
Kerr acknowledged he was not qualified to discuss medical diagnoses after saying on local radio that Porzingis was not dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, commonly abbreviated POTS. He told listeners he had read about the POTS diagnosis and called Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh to question whether the diagnosis was real, saying that was "some misinformation that was out there. " Kerr later described making that assessment as a mistake and said he needs to leave those matters to professionals.
When asked about Porzingis' immediate status, Kerr said only that "he's sick" and that the condition is "way beyond my capabilities explaining anything. " The coach confirmed the player will not play against the Los Angeles Lakers and that the team will keep monitoring him, while noting Porzingis' status for the upcoming Monday game against the Clippers remained to be determined.
Kristaps Porzingis availability and recent timeline
Porzingis has appeared in just one of his first eight games with the team since being acquired at the February trade deadline. His absence on Saturday marked the fourth consecutive contest he has missed for the roster. The injury history noted by the player and the club stretches back to his final season with another team, where Boston's doctors identified POTS as a cause of an elongated illness; he was limited to 17 games this season in Atlanta in part because of illness.
The effect of the missed availability is tangible: the Warriors are operating without a player whom they acquired midseason and who has yet to establish consistent presence on the court, and the club must manage rotations while monitoring a medical issue that staff acknowledge they cannot fully explain publicly. Kerr's public retraction and pledge to defer to medical experts aim to prevent further public confusion while the organization evaluates Porzingis' condition.
Phone call, misinformation and next steps
Kerr said his initial comments sprang from a conversation with Onsi Saleh after reading about the POTS diagnosis; that exchange prompted him to call into question the diagnosis on air. He later characterized that intervention as a mistake and emphasized the need to leave diagnosis discussions to professionals. The immediate effect was a public correction: Kerr walked back the earlier claim and framed his role as coach as separate from medical assessment.
What makes this notable is the overlap of medical uncertainty and roster construction: the team traded for Porzingis at the deadline and has seen him play in only one of eight opportunities, while the player’s medical history includes a prior diagnosis identified by medical staff on a previous team and a season in Atlanta limited to 17 games. The timing matters because the club faces upcoming games and must decide game-to-game whether Porzingis can return to play.
For now, the organization will monitor the illness and defer explanation and prognosis to medical staff, and Kerr has indicated he will refrain from further public speculation on the diagnosis.
