Steve Kerr Will Attend Spurs vs. Warriors Game 1, Watch from Locker Room

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who is recovering from a procedure on his back to alleviate spinal fluid leakage, will be in attendance for Sunday's Western Conference Finals series opener.

Mike Brown confirmed to reporters that Kerr will watch the game from the locker room after Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area reported the news.

Kerr, 51, attended practice Saturday for the first time since taking leave.

"It's obviously great anytime you get to hear his voice, see his face," Stephen Curry told reporters after Saturday's practice. "He's obviously been doing his homework in between. His downtime is to help us get prepared for the series, and you know he misses being around the day-to-day routine, the atmosphere, practice and locker rooms and games and all that. So for him to even just have the energy and ability to be here means a lot. Hopefully, he's feeling better."

Kerr first underwent back surgery in the summer of 2015 following the Warriors' championship run. Complications from the procedure have left him battling near-constant headaches and illnesses for nearly two years, most caused by a leak of spinal fluid. Kerr missed the first 43 games of the 2015-16 season because of complications.

While he was on the sidelines for all of this regular season, Kerr became increasingly ill during the Warriors' first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers. He took a leave of absence after coaching the first two games, with Brown taking over in the interim.

The Warriors remain heavy favorites over the Spurs despite Kerr's absence, but it's a promising sign he's getting closer to a return. Golden State will need every edge possible to get past Gregg Popovich's Spurs and will need Kerr on the sideline for the expected rubber match against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.