Steve Kerr Makes Strong Plea for NBA Refs to Start Calling All the Obvious Travels

Warriors coach has seen enough.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reacts to a call by referee Michael Smith (38) during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Steve Kerr broke into the NBA as a player in 1988 and has seen the league evolve in ways good and bad over nearly four decades. On Monday night it appears that he hit a breaking point when it comes to all of the obvious uncalled travels that have become a routine part of the experience. The Golden State Warriors coach was whistled for a technical after imploring an official to call a blatant shuffle during a 119-101 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

When asked about the incident during his postgame availability, Kerr issued a plea for action from those tasked with calling travelling.

Steve Kerr received a technical tonight for yelling at the officials for missing a travel. He talked at length postgame about the issue: “Footwork is the basis of the game. We need to call traveling. It’ll be a much better game if we clean it up.” pic.twitter.com/6uaVEh9nr2

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 4, 2025

"I don't understand why we are not teaching our officials to call travel in this league," Kerr said. "They do a great job and work their tails off and communicate well, but I see five or six travels a game that aren't called."

Anyone who has watched a game has to agree—especially with someone who actually knows what a travel is like Kerr.

"You know it's a problem when there are like a hundred fans in the stands and every coach on the sideline when I'm watching film and everyone is [signaling for a travel call]," he continued. "Everyone is seeing it, so we are clearly not teaching as a league our officials to look at the feet."

"The entire game is based on footwork," Kerr added. "We need to enforce traveling violations and we are not doing it and I don't understand why. ... These [officials] are awesome. They do a great job, and they have a million things to watch, but footwork is the entire basis of the game and we need to call traveling. It will be a much better game if we clean it up."

This feels ... somewhat historic. Lamentations about how many steps NBA players get away with have been going on for a long, long time. And they usually fall on uninterested ears because the people responsible for the product aren't interested in anything that could make the game more exciting.

Kerr's comments perhaps will open up a more fruitful conversation. Of course, an active player joining the cause would go even further and we probably shouldn't be holding our breath on that happening.

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