Wright Thompson May 14, 2026, 07:26 AM ET Close Wright Thompson is a senior writer for ESPN and is executive producer of TrueSouth and co-executive producer of Backstory. He is the author of New York Times bestselling The Cost of These Dreams. STEVE KERR WALKED into the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire with a secret. Win or lose, he'd decided to retire as head coach of the Golden State Warriors. It was a Tuesday morning in mid-April, the day before the team's first postseason play-in game in Los Angeles. When this season ended, his 12-year run with the Golden State Warriors would end, too. In the airy hotel restaurant behind the concierge desk, Kerr gave his name and room number, 516 -- "Johnny Bench Joe Montana" -- and a hostess showed us to a table by the window. He looked around and lowered his voice. "I think it's over," he said, almost mouthing the words. His sweatsuit separated him from the businessmen eating breakfast in suits and ties nearby. He put the odds at 95 percent.…