LOS ANGELES — A former assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors reportedly recorded conversations of coaches and players without their knowledge before being fired by the team earlier this month.
ESPN, citing anonymous sources, reported Tuesday that Darren Erman secretly recorded coaches’ meetings, conversations between coaches and players, and informal discussions. It’s unclear what Erman did with the alleged recordings.
Golden State fired Erman on April 5 for what the team called a “violation of company policy.” The Warriors neither confirmed nor denied the report Tuesday, saying only that they “were unaware of the violation, and when made aware, we took immediate action.”
Erman already has landed a job with another team. A spokesman for the Boston Celtics confirmed to The Associated Press that the team hired Erman as an NBA scout.
Erman was in his third season with the Warriors after spending four years with the Celtics, where he worked under Doc Rivers, who is now the coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. Erman also coached the Warriors’ summer league championship team in Las Vegas last year.
Erman was the second assistant dismissed from Mark Jackson’s staff this season. Jackson reassigned Brian Scalabrine — a former Celtics player — to the team’s NBA Development League affiliate in Santa Cruz on March 25 because of what Jackson called a “difference in philosophies.”
At Golden State’s shootaround before Game 5 in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Jackson declined comment when asked about the reports but said Erman is “an outstanding coach who did a great job.”
Jackson also reiterated that the moves involving two of his assistants — which have fueled discussion about his own job status after the season — are not representative of a dysfunctional atmosphere on his staff.
“There was no dysfunction,” Jackson said. “I had a great staff. It’s been a great year, and we are 2-2 with an opportunity to win Game 5 against this Clippers team. It’s been a great year for us on the court, and we are together as a staff and as a team. Nothing has changed.
“You can make a mistake. That doesn’t mean that’s my dysfunction. It’s documented.”
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