Steve Kerr reveals hilarious way he found out Kevin Durant was going to Nets

FILE - Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr gives Kevin Durant a pat on the back in the first quarter during game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Monday, June 10, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. less FILE - Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr gives Kevin Durant a pat on the back in the first quarter during game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors at ... more Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Steve Kerr reveals hilarious way he found out Kevin Durant was going to Nets 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was just trying to relax. Lounging on a Hawaii beach on the first day of NBA free agency, his cellphone parked in his hotel room, and engrossed in the nonfiction best-seller "Billion Dollar Whale," the coach probably imagined he was as far away as he could be from the insanity of the news.

That solitude, unfortunately, was short-lived.

These details come from a story written by ESPN's Jackie MacMullan on Thursday, which focuses broadly on NBA coaches' lack of agency in an era when superstars are dictating their futures to a historically unprecedented degree. The story includes reactions from a number of coaches learning the fate of departed superstars, including Steve Kerr's reaction to learning that Kevin Durant was heading to the Brooklyn Nets.

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MacMullan notes Kerr was on the same Hawaii beach where he first learned Durant had chosen the Warriors over the Thunder, back in July of 2016. This time around, Kerr was enjoying his beach read when his serene vacation was interrupted by a "30-something" man, who hadn't seen Kerr sitting there, that "screeched" to his friend.

"Oh my god!" he said, according to MacMullan. "KD is going to the Nets!"

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Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, head coach Kenny Atkinson was reportedly in disbelief.

"Even when I saw it, I didn't believe it." Atkinson told MacMullan. "Durant is going to leave Golden State? I just couldn't wrap my head around it."

Durant may miss the entire 2019-2020 season, but should make the Nets a contender once he returns from his Achilles injury.

Michael Rosen is an SFGATE homepage editor. Email: michael.rosen@sfgate.com.