Steve Kerr's Letter to Draymond Green Revealed and Inside Their Heated Confrontation

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr penned a heartfelt letter to forward Draymond Green as the four-time All-Star was in the midst of a particularly tough stretch this season.

ESPN's Wright Thompson said Kerr felt compelled to go the extra mile after Green had eight turnovers in a 136-131 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 14:

"He told Dray how much he meant to him. He talked about the turnovers, how the Warriors were 9-2 when they turned the ball over less than their opponents, and 3-11 when they turned it over more. He talked about aging, about how all great players adapted at the end of their career. Magic Johnson learned how to shoot threes, he wrote, and Steph Curry got stronger, and Michael Jordan learned to dominate the low post. Your superpower, he told Green, is your brain and your defensive instincts. He told him he loved him. Most of all, he told him he understood him. Kerr and Green fought because they were wired so similarly, with lots of internal rage that Steve had learned how to outwardly control better than Dray.

According to Thompson, "Green said nothing about the letter," and his performance didn't immediately turn around.

Then came the argument between Kerr and Green on the bench midway through a 120-97 win over the Orlando Magic on Dec. 22. Green headed for the locker room during a break in play in the third quarter and didn't return.

The player and coach apologized to one another:

"Kerr kept the team together, managing ego, insecurity and reality, in what might end up being his best and most overlooked coaching job. This season took all his prodigious emotional intelligence. Kerr accepted blame in the media for the altercation, in a move that felt equal parts empathy for Draymond and tactical decision for the team. The question of how Kerr felt or what he actually thought about what went down was somewhere below the surface."

However, a message Kerr texted to Thompson following a 141-127 overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 28 was telling.

"I think things have run out here," Kerr said. "It's just time to move on. For me and for them. I'm probably being too emotional after yet another close loss, but it's probably true. ... We will commiserate and drink beer and watch the game on our computers and complain about all the dumb plays we made."

Kerr eventually convinced himself otherwise despite Golden State failing to advance out of the play-in tournament. He penned a two-year deal to remain on the sideline.

Green may not be part of the equation moving forward, though.

The 36-year-old could decline his $27.7 million player option. Should he pick it up, that salary would be helpful for the Warriors in any trade for a different star to pair with Stephen Curry.

There's a chance that Kerr as coached Green for the last time.