Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will not be with the team come opening night.
Kerr, who is still suffering from back complications after surgery, will be away without a timetable for return while interim coach Luke Walton remains in his role, according to ESPN.
On Saturday, general manager Bob Myers announced that it was unclear when Kerr would return, saying, “Even if you ask Steve, he doesn't know.”
Kerr has been experiencing headaches as a result of a spinal fluid leak he suffered in September, and although he will be with the team for the Golden State's championship ring ceremony on Tuesday’s home season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans, Walton will be coaching the team.
“When he first stepped away, my gut told me he'd be back by the start of the season,” the 35-year-old Walton said. “But my gut was wrong.”
Walton, who is the son of NBA Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton, had a 9-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won two championships, and also with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He became an assistant coach for the Warriors in 2014.