Warriors' Mike Brown explains how Draymond Green, Steve Kerr are similar

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Warriors lead assistant Mike Brown has coached alongside Steve Kerr for four seasons. Along the way, the coach says he has seen similarities between Kerr and his most controversial pupil. 

"When Steve flips the only thing that I can see that distinguishes Steve Kerr and Draymond [Green] is Steve has got blonde hair and Draymond has got black hair," Brown said on the Runnin' Plays Podcast. "Other than that, when they both flip, whoa."

Since Kerr was hired by Golden State in 2014, he and Green have had an up-and-down relationship. During halftime of a game in 2016, the two reportedly nearly came to blows while arguing. 

Conflict arises between the two because of a similar mindset born from childhood. Kerr was competitive at an early age, sometimes throwing tantrums when he lost to other kids at family gatherings. 

Green had similar experiences growing up in Saginaw, Mich. As a kid, he built a reputation of unapologetically prying, cursing and grinding those around him as he perfected his craft, often at the expense of formidable relationships. 

"I took it so seriously," Green said in December. "I didn't have a bunch of friends. Even in the NBA, I don't have a ton of friends. It's different for me. If you don't got what I got as far as passion goes, as far as the hate for losing that I have, you would never understand it." 

"If you're passionate about this s--t, like I'm passionate about this s--t, we don't bump heads," added. "That's just what it is. If you're not as passionate about this as I am, if you're not as passionate about winning as I am, we're going to bump heads and that's just a fact."

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The conundrum has caused frequent internal battles between the two. Last season, Kerr was frustrated with Green, particularly his frequent technical fouls down the stretch of a dismal season. But as Kerr knows, friction with Green is how you gain his respect. 

"Over the years, we've had some knockdown, drag-out near fights because he's got a brilliant basketball mind," Kerr said following the 2019 Western Conference finals. "And he doesn't always agree with something I've said.

"They were important. He needed to know that I wasn't afraid to coach him, and I needed to know that he would respond to me, and after every argument and after every fight we'd get into, there was always a mutual respect and a sort of meeting of the minds and we'd figure it out, and it works."

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Brown knows Kerr's rage well. As an assistant coach in San Antonio, he'd frequently play 1-on-1 with Kerr to keep the then 37-year-old in shape during the back half of the guard's career. These days, he's frequently tasked to hold Kerr back during tirades with the refs. Most notably, three seasons ago during a road game in Sacramento in 2017, when Kerr lit into an official over a call.

Over the years, Brown has found out how best to deal with the coach's tirades. 

"I don't know if there's any controlling or holding him back once he loses it," Brown said. "He's going to do what he needs to do to get his point across, and eventually, he'll come back."

But, as Brown knows, Green and Kerr's competitive spirit has been key to the Warriors' success. 

"He and Draymond, I'll tell you, they've got a lot of similarities," Brown said. "That's why they're so good together. That's why they've won at the level that they have, because there's a vibe, they just click, and it makes for beautiful things."

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