Steve Kerr ‘very concerned’ about rising injuries to star players due to pace of modern NBA
The Warriors fell to 9-8 in the 2025-26 season after losing to the Heat 110-96 on Wednesday. Currently ranked eighth in the Western Conference. Head coach Steve Kerr expressed some concerns when speaking to the media.
The longtime Warriors head coach explained that he’s “very concerned” about the rising number of injuries to star players heading into the 2025-26 season. Kerr specifically mentioned the pace and spacing of the modern NBA. Tom Haberstroh of Yahoo Sports has the facts to back up what Steve Kerr believes. According to Haberstroh, only 67.2% of star players are participating in games starting in the 2025-26 season.
Does the NBA have a problem with star players missing extended periods of time due to injuries?
new @yahoosports: NBA star players will miss twice as many games as in the 2023-24 season. Wemby, Ja airs tonight on NBC.
It’s gotten so bad that nearly half of the NBA’s stars are now injured: pic.twitter.com/ZZ31NlAqgG
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) November 18, 2025
About a month into the 2025-26 season, it feels like more and more players are missing time due to injury. As of Thursday, Nov. 20, Giannis Antetokounmpo, OG Anunoby, Victor Wembunyama, Dylan Harper and Anthony Davis are all sidelined. Antetokounmpo, Bunyama and Davis are the three top stars in the NBA. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports noted that soft tissue injuries appear to be on the rise this year.
Additionally, Tom Haberstroh of Yahoo Sports has some evidence to back this up. He noted that NBA stars missed more than 200 games in the first month of the season. Haberstroh used the NBA’s definition of a star. By these calculations, there are currently 45 such players in the NBA. In the 2023-24 season, 87.2% of the league’s stars have played the first month of the season. This number drops slightly to 82.6% in 2024-25. However, NBA stars are missing games at an alarming rate for the 2025-25 season.
Steve Kerr says he’s “concerned” about the increase in soft tissue injuries across the NBA. His medical staff believe the increased pace and schedule are to blame.
“They think wear and tear, speed, pace, mileage are all factors that contribute to these injuries.” pic.twitter.com/VABfBFJMcK
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 18, 2025
Tom Haberstroh reported that NBA stars played in 67.6% of games. The difference compared to the 2023-24 season is nearly 20%. That doesn’t look good for a league trying to fight back against critics who say its stars never appear on the court. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in an interview with the media that the increase in injuries this season has him “very concerned.”
He blames the spacing of the NBA and the pace of the modern game. Steve Kerr said teams are taking advantage of transitions now more than ever. As a result, players are asked to play at an accelerated pace, which can lead to injuries. He added that the NBA’s 82-game schedule is another factor that teams try to balance throughout the year. The team hopes to be at its best in the playoffs. This could lead to star players missing games early.
