Lakers Coach Luke Walton recalls Warriors Coach Steve Kerr’s fire on the bench

Thursday night when the Warriors played the Oklahoma City Thunder, Warriors Coach Steve Kerr became enraged during the first quarter when officials didn’t call what he thought should’ve been a foul. Warriors assistant Mike Brown wrapped his arms around Kerr to keep him from getting ejected.

Lakers Coach Luke Walton watched that all unfold, bemused, the night before his team would face the Warriors.

“I complimented him on his fire last night in the game when he chased down one of the referees,” Walton said. “I told him it made me smile to see that happen. … I told Mike Brown that he should’ve let Steve go.”

Walton was an assistant for Kerr the previous two seasons. He recalls a time when Kerr lost it on the bench, but Walton didn’t try hard to stop him.

“I like when Steve gets fired up like that so I didn’t really — it was kind of like fake hustle you know?” he said.

The two talk constantly, and that hasn’t changed just because the Warriors will be facing the Lakers on Friday night at Staples Center for the first time during the regular season.

In terms of the team’s goals and the future, Walton doesn’t see this game as any different from the other 81. But he admits to looking forward to potential bragging rights during the off-season.

“It’s fun to coach against people you have relationships with,” Walton said. “I hope that they have success when we’re not playing them, but tonight I hope they all have terrible games and we win.”