The Warriors longtime sideline reporter returned from maternity leave as the Warriors got a big win over Orlando.
The Golden State Warriors may be below .500 this season, but they’re undefeated in games where Kerith Burke is working the sidelines.
Welcome back, @KerithBurke! pic.twitter.com/1lPq8nZTH9
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 3, 2024
Burke, the Warriors’ sideline reporter since 2017, returned from maternity leave just in time for Golden State’s 121-114 win over the Orlando Magic. She had her first child at the end of August, and missed the first three months of the season caring for her son Rory - and singing him Barry White songs.
You’re the First, the Last, My Everything is the song I sing my baby
— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) December 24, 2023
Ironically, Burke missed time while some of the Warriors players were acting like babies. We had bench tantrums from Klay Thompson, while Draymond Green is on a very long “time out” until he learns that it’s not OK to hit. Thompson also learned a lesson about hitting last night, when he elbowed a chair in frustration and it hit him right back.
When Klay subbed out with his third foul, he elbowed the bench, muttered to himself, elbowed the bench again and winced because he did it too hard.
— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) January 3, 2024
However, Thompson did vow after the game to move on from his negative energy, and become a better mentor/babysitter to the young Warriors who are keeping this season alive as the veterans struggle.
Pretty revealing Klay Thompson postgame soundbite about a conversation he had with Steve Kerr yesterday regarding the need to improve his negative energy, be a better mentor and enjoy the last chapter of his career rather than obsess over stats/performance pic.twitter.com/a9wIxhnkGh
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 3, 2024
The Warriors are now 1-0 on the season in Burke games. We haven’t crunched the individual game numbers - Ms. Burke occasionally gets some days off - but in the entire Kerith Era, the team is 267-199. That’s a very solid record for the NBA Sports Bay Area reporter. Obviously the opportunity to appear on Dubs Talk Live is a motivating factor for the Warriors players.
Burke didn’t just hang out with her new baby during her hiatus. She also achieved a longtime goal of meeting other people named Kerith on the Defector podcast “Name Dropping.” They assembled a panel to discuss the unusual name, which they dubbed “the largest gathering of Keriths in recorded history.”
But Warriors fans only need one Kerith, a talented reporter whose mere presence guarantees victory. We look forward to Golden State winning the remainder of their games the rest of the way, at which point Rory should definitely receive a full share of the playoff prize money.
