Sometimes pregame with NBA coaches can be like a fireside chat for basketball knowledge sharing. Before the Cavs game a few days ago, Steve Kerr and Kenny Atkinson gave some really cool anecdotes.
Not to scoop him, but Sam Gordon of the SF Chronicle asked Kerr about how he executes ATOs — presumably for a future feature Gordon is doing — then the questions hit on a variety of topics, including…
• if Atkinson joining this Cleveland team was like Steve joining the 2014-15 Warriors,
• the recent aggressiveness of Trayce Jackson-Davis,
• a Draymond Green anecdote from the 2015 Finals, where Green made his second three and Kerr turned to his bench coaches to say, “Oh we’re gonna win this game,” whereby Draymond hitting two threes was a “thing”, an actual stat,
• quotes about the young guys: TJD has made a “leap”, Brandin Podziemski has “grit”, and Moses Moody “momentum”
• comparing the Warriors-Cavs rivalry to that of the Lakers-Celtics and, of course, one Wardell Stephen Curry versus LeBron James was just like Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird,
• how Andre Iguodala made his sacrifice by coming off the bench and how Steve thinks “about Andre all the time,”
• and the recent struggles of Buddy Hield and Dennis Schroder, whereby Kerr’s confidence in their career track record outweighs the slump and/or integration issues the two have been having,
And then, across the way by the visitors’ locker room at Chase, Kenny took the podium and said what no social media thumb-typist wants to hear, that Steve embodies:
• “a culture of joy,”
• has “emotional control,”
• made “championship moves” with — gasp 😱 — key substitutions at the right time in the Finals,
• the way “he touches everybody,”
• and is “just a wonderful person.”
Friendly reminder, this is from the soon-to-be unanimous Coach of the Year for 2024-25, for the legitimately title-contending Cavs.
Btw, here’s a little thing on emotional control you should watch:
And it gets right back to the scourge that is social media. Sometimes pregame interviews delve into the “forest for the trees” of basketball where there’s mutual respect, where there’s a bond.
When people get on their Xitter platforms and thumb-type the latest complaint du jour, they are effectively reinforcing their state of mind to stay separate. They couldn’t care less about the behind-the-scenes bonds of basketball.
When you’re stressed out in real life, when you’re in survival mode because some co-worker said something about you behind your back, you’re in fight-or-flight mode. And social media apps always encourage you to fight — I mean, thumb-type. And so you have no desire to connect. You have no desire to be grateful. You have a convergent focus on the problems at hand, be they the co-worker you despise with whom you will share the room with a cubicle the next morning, weekday morning after weekday morning, or the rotation Kerr happened to have when the game went south for the Warriors.
So, thank you, Kenny Atkinson, for that little blip on the radar that I noticed. For that opportunity to love the game, to feel connected with you and Steve (and Andre and Dray and…). It’s like a shooting star in the night. God bless the pregame press conference!
Full transcripts from the Cavs loss below:
00:00 What kind of nuance goes into ATO late-game situational execution coming out of a timeout? What kind of nuance goes into execution there?
00:10 Nuance meaning, like, the process of —
00:13 Yeah, putting a play together and executing it. Like, what has to go right, in order to execute there, like you guys so often do?
00:20 Yeah, I mean, it varies. It’s generally situational. What are you trying to do? Are you trying to get a 2-for-1? Are you going for a 2? Are you going for a 3? So we — some stuff we practice. Other stuff we might just draw up and put it in. If we see something that we think we can take advantage of, our players are generally pretty good about just executing something off the board without having practiced it.
00:53 But you also have to have stuff that is, you can do on the fly. Sometimes, like if a team has a foul to give and you take a timeout late, you drop a play and they give a foul, you might have to call something that you already have in your — that they can run on the fly. So there’s a lot of different variables involved.
01:17 Is the ere any update or any sense of how long Brandin might be laid up with this abdominal strain?
01:22 Yeah, it’s not bad. So we’re — the MRI was clear and so he’s day-to-day, which is great. I mean, you always worry about the abdominal strains and those can can keep guys out for a while. So this one doesn’t seem to be too bad.
01:40 And obviously when you took over 10 years ago with the Warriors, that was a team that had had some success in the playoffs, got to the second round a couple times. Kind of similar, at least in some ways, to what the situation Kenny inherited with Cleveland. I was curious, as you got into that first season, was there a point when you felt like you knew this team was going to potentially be able to take farther steps right away, and kind of what were the markers you were looking for to kind of tell that, or was it something you had to wait to see what the team looked like in the playoffs, to really know that was the case?
02:08 Well, first of all, it’s rare to get a job like this one or like the one Kenny got. I mean, usually if a team is a 50-win team and a second round team, then they’re not making coaching changes. So, pretty unique opportunity for Kenny, like it was for me. Looking back 10 years ago, it was obvious almost right away that we had a hell of a team. I mean — but they were already really good, top-five defense the previous year and a pretty lethal backcourt. So we got off to a great start and I think the biggest thing was just having to convince the guys that we didn’t have to go through the usual process of heartbreak for three years that most NBA championship teams seem to have to go through, although maybe that’s changing, I don’t know. Boston would argue — Boston would say no. It took them what, seven, eight years. And I think that’s more the rule than the exception. So with Cleveland, they’re gonna — obviously, you got a hell of a team and they’ve been in the playoffs the last couple of years, so similar circumstances and there’s some luck involved and you just go for it.
03:32 You sounded the other night like you’re getting closer to, like, a more trimmed-down, like, nightly rotation. I mean, is that the goal right now?
03:41 It is. I mean, I think the way this season has gone, starting out playing 12, which was ambitious, but it clicked. And then so many guys played well. Then once we started losing, I think we knew we had to search for combinations and I think when you throw in some injuries and some experimentation, we’ve kind of been all over the map. And given the stretch we’re in, losing 12 out of 16, yeah, gotta settle in these next couple of weeks, stick with the same lineup, same rotation off the bench, if possible, and see if we can find some rhythm.
04:29 You closed the other night small with Schroder, Steph, Wiggins, Kuminga, Draymond. Is that — I know that you are probably going to kind of tinker nightly — but is that kind of what you envision as maybe your closing five?
04:42 It’s definitely one of the best, options. I mean, I think the other guy who has to factor in is Trayce. And in fact, we did bring Trayce in for the last two defensive possessions for Steph, but obviously Steph will be on the floor in closing situations. There could be a case where maybe one of those guys isn’t on the floor and Trayce is for defense and shot-blocking. But you never know how it’s going to play out.
05:17 Why do you think it’s kind of Trayce has been unlocked a little bit the last couple of weeks?
05:22 I think it was kind of good for him to sit for — he had the one DNP and then a couple of games where he didn’t play a whole lot. I think it was good for him. I think we’re just trying to convince him how hard he has to run, every single play, to really be effective. And he has a tendency occasionally to think too much and think, “Oh, I should be going to set a ball screen,” instead of just running right to the front of the rim. But he’s been much more aggressive. I think he’s finishing better. He’s making his free throws, so he’s doing a lot of things to be more consistent.
05:56 Steve, last game — sorry, right here. Last game, Draymond moved into third on the all-time three-point list for you guys as a franchise. When you first started coaching him, did you envision a future where he’d make over 700 three pointers?
06:09 I saw that. He passed Jason Richardson. I would not have guessed that, but the funny thing is, I remember my first year, he made two threes in the deciding game of the Finals. He made them both in the first half. And he made them, I turned to my coaches and I said, “We’re gonna win.” Like, when Draymond makes two threes, we win. And it was a thing. It was a stat. But it was also just a vibe, when he would make a couple threes, like, there’s no way we’re losing. The other night he makes four in the first half and we’re down five at half. It’s such a different game. It’s a different sport, almost, and Draymond has done a great job of adapting the last two years. He shot it really well. He’s understood the importance of putting the work in and showing the confidence to let it fly, even when he’s having an 0-for-3 start. He’s still shooting it, which we want, and the percentage is showing, the confidence and the work that he’s put in. So, pretty remarkable that we’re sitting here talking about him being on that list.
07:20 Steve, you look at some of the top teams in the standings right now, there’s a lot of young, 23-, 24-year-olds who are core star players, really. Mobley and Garland here with Cleveland, SGA in Oklahoma City, Ja’s only 25. Obviously, we talked a lot about Kuminga the other night, but how important is it or in the big picture, I guess, for Kuminga, Trayce, sort of your young guys, to be become core players, to become prominent?
07:49 It’s huge. This is a young man’s game. We know that. It’s a sport that requires so much endurance and physical conditioning and ability to bounce back from aches and pains. And it just gets harder and harder for the older guys. So if you don’t have a young core, then you’re in some trouble and it’s what I feel good about, our young group. Probably, — I probably feel better about our young group now than I ever have. And I mentioned the other night, I think Jonathan is having a breakthrough, just his recognition of everything that’s happening. I think Trayce is making a leap. I love BP, what he brings to the table, his grit and his toughness and his basketball IQ. I’m hoping Moses can get healthy and get on a run here and get some some momentum. But what we’ve tried to accomplish here the last couple of years is not easy, trying to incorporate these young guys and still compete for a championship. But that’s that’s what we’re trying to do. And you see it with Steph and Draymond. They are still phenomenal players, but they can’t do it on their own. And they need these young guys’ help. And it’s exciting to watch it all unfold.
09:18 Hey Steve, it’s been about 10 years since the Cavs-Warriors rivalry. LeBron the other day called it like a rap battle. I’m curious, what sticks with you from those four straight finals?
09:28 I was thinking the same thing. It reminds me of a rap battle. Let’s see. Yeah, it hasn’t been, I mean, 10 years since it started. What, five years since it ended? Six years since it ended? 2018 was the last? Yeah. I think — I grew up a Laker fan in LA, watching all those Lakers-Celtics battles. And for a long time that was, for me, like the iconic era of the NBA. That was my biggest memory of the NBA was that rivalry. I think, Cavs-Warriors, will be this era’s version of that. when you consider the star power. with Steph and LeBron, like Bird and Magic, the multiple meetings, the epic performances, signature plays, signature games, I think it’ll go down — it’ll l take some time, but I think ten, fifteen years from now, I think people will be doing documentaries about it.
10:34 And going back to Kenny, he has talked throughout the course of this year, just the influence that you’ve had on him and how much he took from his time here with the Warriors. When you see somebody like that, that you’ve coached alongside, have immediate success the way that he has, what does that make you feel like?
10:56 Well, I’m happy for him, number one. Kenny’s a great guy and a great friend, and he brought so much to us. He helped us win a championship in ’22. He’s a phenomenal coach on both sides of the ball. He’s intense. He was really a great fit for us and so I always root for him. And I’m happy for him for the opportunity that he received from Cleveland. As I was saying earlier, these jobs don’t come along often. Usually the jobs you get are the ones that are bottom of the barrel and you’re trying to build something from scratch and it takes a long time. He’s taken over a team that’s been really good the last couple of years, so I’m happy that he waited for this opportunity and didn’t jump at Charlotte years ago. This was a much better opportunity for him and he’s made the most of it. And they look awesome. They’re just crushing it.
11:53 Hey Coach, kind of off of that, how important in general is it, as a head coach, when you come into a new situation to have the buy-in from your best player? And you had a very unique position, but I’m curious if there was any challenges when you first got here with Steph or if it was easier than anticipated?
12:12 Well, I’m lucky with Steph. I mean, Steph is a very unique person. He’s a very trusting person and, as soon as we established a relationship, it became apparent to me quickly that he would — he was going to trust me and that we were going to be able to collaborate. And that’s what NBA coaching is to me. It’s collaboration between the coach and the GM and owner and best players. And we have that here, but it requires building that relationship — those relationships and then a lot of forgiveness when things go wrong both ways. And that’s what collaboration is about. And so it was relatively easy here because Steph Curry is Steph Curry, but there were a lot of other personalities involved too. And we had great guys across the board. For Andre Iguodala to willingly come off the bench for the first time in his career in 10 years, he made the sacrifice that set a tone. And so I think about Andre all the time in terms of kind of building what we built here. So you have to have good people and a lot of talent for sure.
13:31 Steve, Buddy is struggling, obviously, lately and Dennis is kind of struggling through his first few games here, but at some point you need those guys to sort of pick up the non-Steph minutes. What will it take for those two guys to build chemistry? And what do you think is their ceiling? If they’re able to get get going?
13:46 Well, both guys have a long track record of success in the league, so I’m not worried about them. Dennis was brilliant the other night. I know shots weren’t going in early, but he made the biggest shot of the game. He made defensive stops. He was all over the place, huge rebound off that long rebound, loose ball, late in the game, makes the two free throws. Watching the tape, his defense was brilliant. This guy’s a gamer. He’s a winner. And so we didn’t really get him for his shooting and his shooting will come. I mean, he’s a consistent shooter over his career, but he does so many other things for us. But he started out hot and it’s been a little bit of a rough patch and that’s kind of the way it goes for shooters in this league. And, but he’s a gunslinger, so I want him to keep firing and they’ll start going in.
14:44 As a coach, I don’t think I was a complete coach until I came here and, quite honestly, learned from the best players, best coach. Just, and I was an observer, really, most of the time, but I got a lot out of — more out of this than they got from what I brought to the table, so it was just just a great. Like I said, it completed me as a coach.
15:15 Kenny, what made Steve so good for you?
15:20 So many things. How to coach great players. I think observing that culture of joy that he preaches over and over and then his emotional control, just especially in the big moments, big games, kept you really, really cool, really calm. And then you see all the kind of championship moves he made, whether it’s a substitution, whether it’s a, “Hey, this guy’s out this series, this guy’s playing.” A great, great, great feel for who to play, not to play in the big moments. And then listen to his Phil Jackson stories, playing days stories and Steve engaged everybody. It wasn’t just the superstars either. It’s one through, what, one through 18, now. He touches everybody. It was a — what a joy. And then just a wonderful person, right? Like the day-to-day with him was great.
00:00 What was the biggest offensive issue tonight?
00:04 STEVE KERR: Well, the ball wasn’t going in the hoop, that’s for sure. But we have to find a way to develop better rhythm to create better shots, for sure. I thought we got off to a great start, really good pace, good flow. And then that second quarter, we kind of lost our momentum and I thought got down a little bit and then the key stretch of the game was Mitchell’s three threes to start the third. We just — I think they made — we scored first and then I think they scored 12 in a row and broke it open.
00:40 How frustrating, mentally, can it be when you’re just missing layup after layup?
00:46 Yeah, I mean that was part of it. I thought our guys continued to play hard the rest of the night, but there were just a lot of shots that didn’t go that were kind of demoralizing for sure and it happens and we’re kind of in a rut right now. We haven’t made shots now for a while, so it feels like it should turn. But we have to try to find a way to help develop the rhythm with passing, with movement, with spacing, to generate better shots.
01:17 And how difficult was Cleveland’s size and length on the perimeter?
01:20 Yeah, they’ve been a tough matchup for us for the last few years with Mobley and Allen patrolling the paint and then they’ve got excellent role players, obviously, two stars in the backcourt with Mitchell and Garland, but a whole group of role players who can all dribble and pass and shoot and know how to play. And they’ve been together now for some years. They kind of remind me of our team when I first got here that they’ve been together now for a while. And the continuity is obvious and it feels like a team that’s really well-connected. And there’s a reason they’re 28-4. They’re really good.
02:06 Steve, going back to the beginning of the game, what was it that worked so well for you guys, because the first half of the first quarter, at least you guys were kind of off and running?
02:14 Yeah, it was. We were getting stops. Our defense was great and we were running. We were throwing the ball ahead. I think we had eight throw-aheads in transition in the first quarter and then that dropped to three in the second and it’s kind of a choppy second quarter. I mean, it’s not like our defense was bad. We only gave up 20 points. So it just felt like we were missing little put-backs, layups and we just couldn’t get out of that rut in the second quarter and kind of lost our mojo.
02:49 The Cavs don’t block a lot of shots. I think they’re bottom-10 for blocks. But what does it say about their ability to, I guess, discourage people from coming into the paint and what it can do to a team, mentally?
03:01 Yeah. Yeah, they have a good defense. And, like I said, they’re well-connected. I think Dean Wade is really underrated. He was really mucking things up in the paint for us, always in the right spot, coming over and making plays, a couple of block shots and rebounding and he — that guy’s a really, really good role player for them and complements the rest of their guys well.
03:25 Steve, you’ve talked about how much you really believe in this group. You guys have had some, obviously, some really high highs and some tough lows at 16-16. Where do you — how do you think that that reflects on the team overall? I mean, are you guys a 16-16 team or do you think highly of that team?
03:43 Yeah, well, you’re — you are what your record says you are, I think, Bill Parcells. I think there’s a lot of truth to that and we’ve obviously fallen from that early start where we had a lot of momentum and a lot of good flow to our game. And so I know, because I’ve seen it, the way we started. I know it’s in us and I know we can get there. But right now it’s a struggle, for sure.
04:16 Another tough night from Buddy. He’s even missing layups now. Do you think maybe they’re starting to get into his head a little bit?
04:23 Yeah, that’s what happens as a shooter. That can mess with you when you’re missing easy ones. And all it takes is one, though, for Buddy and he’ll bounce back.
04:36 Trayce, you don’t often see teams play with two bigs like Mobley and Allen. What’s it like competing against them?
04:43 TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: They’re really good, long defenders, very good on the defensive end of the floor. But then they also can get out, move a little bit, push the ball and then they got guards getting downhill. They can shoot the ball from all five spots. So they’re tough to guard.
04:58 What was the key for you tonight, career high 16 boards, 10 offensive?
05:02 Yeah, I’m just trying to play hard on the glass, just running in and crashing. I’m just trying to root them out and get us extra possessions, so.
05:11 Trayce, you guys obviously had this great start and it’s kind of faded out now. And as you see, you guys are trying to find your way again. What do you — what are the things you look at and go, “Okay, here’s what we know we can fix.” Every team has something, a couple of things they know they can fix.
05:29 Yeah. I think pace is a huge thing for us. I felt like during the beginning of the year we ran. Even in the beginning of the game, we were running and I thought we got off to a great start. But I would say pace is huge for us. Defensively, we were okay in the first half. They went on a run to start the second half. I don’t think we ever recovered and we were trying to play catch up, throw different things at them. But overall, I would say, yeah, that pace. We’re still trying to get Dennis incorporated, but I think once we find our rhythm and find that, we’ll be a lot better.
06:00 You mentioned how Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley can get in the way of things. But you guys missed, I don’t know, like eight or nine layups, it looked like. I mean, how much of that is mental and how much of that is just awareness of them discouraging — I mean, how much of that — is that them and how much of it is you guys, you think?
06:16 I would say it’s both. Obviously, they’re great shot blockers. You got that in the back of your mind. You just gotta to go up stronger, but it feels like once one person misses one, then everyone starts to miss them. So you gotta shake it off and just get ready for the next one.
06:35 What does this team need to do, offensively, to generate better looks?
06:40 I just feel like sometimes the ball sticks a little too much. We just gotta get off of it, screen, roll, find the first open guy, pass, make them close out because they’re playing the nail. Then drive, kick, and just generate just movement. More movement, I think, will help us a lot.
06:57 Trayce, how — over here. How ready do you and Jonathan feel to sort of take this next step? It seems like you’re obviously getting more and more time, and it feels like you guys are taking steps forward. Do you feel that way?
07:10 Yeah, I just feel like me and JK, we talk all the time, telling me before every game, “Just go out there and play your game.” I’m just trying to boost his confidence. I know it’s already sky high right now. He’s playing really good basketball, so we’re just trying to do our part on just continue to try to play at a high level to help these guys out.
00:00 Moses, what challenges did Cleveland post for you guys? Offensively, how would you characterize the effect of their defense?
00:13 MOSES MOODY: They got size on defense with Mobley and Allen down there. And then they had a lot of guys that don’t — is not really known for defense out on the floor at the same time, but they was able to disguise and give good looks.
00:31 What do you think the biggest issue is that’s troubling your guys’ offense right now?
00:38 Different games, different things. Just gotta figure it out, get a flow, figure out something that works so we can be consistent with it.
00:56 You have a ton of veterans kind of in prolonged shooting slumps right now. How much do you think is just kind of, I don’t know, I guess, misfortune at the wrong time by a bunch of guys? Or how much is, like, is it related to maybe some offensive issues you’re having?
1:12 STEPHEN CURRY: I think at one point it was more like unorganized execution, lack of clarity on what we’re trying to do. And I think whether it’s confidence, whether it’s literally shots not going in, whatever it is, it’s affecting our ability to sustain a level of competitiveness and — myself included. So we have to be able to channel, like, positive energy on — like, we’re playing hard. We’re — you’re trying to do the right things. The ball is not going in. Any hooper that’s played, when it’s a situation like that, it can preoccupy you on the rest of the game at times. So that’s our challenge, to get over the hump. Whether we make or miss shots, you wanna make shots and we need to make shots. But the temptation to lose confidence or feel like the world’s kind of caving in on you, I don’t care how long you’ve been in this game, it’s something you have to deal with.
02:17 Independent of just making shots, what do you think is, like the not necessarily biggest issue with the offense, but the most easily addressable issue?
02:33 If I had those answers, I think we wouldn’t be asking that question because we’d be able to figure it out on the floor. So, I don’t know. Everybody — I think first thing you think of is turnovers. I think tonight, it wasn’t that big of a problem. It’s just literally the ball wouldn’t go in the basket, layups, mid-range, threes, pretty much everything. Last game against Phoenix, there was a stretch in the second quarter where I turnovers, like, that’s something you can address. Each game is a little different, but the solution, I have no idea.
03:05 How do you feel like the implementation of Schroder to this team is going?
03:11 The numbers obviously haven’t been great, but I think the feel of him with the ball in his hands, me playing off of him, it’s been — there’s been some good spurts. The Phoenix game was kind of indicative of that, but we’ve had more games where we’ve been struggling a little bit. I think we have to get more clarity just on when he’s on the court with me and Draymond, and when he’s kind of with a different unit, kind of some go-to sets, because teams are starting to go under a lot of pick-and-rolls, trying to clog the paint and the ball doesn’t move as much and we have to kind of adjust to that. But he’s been around this league and figured out different situations. I got . all the confidence in the world that we can do it here. And we can help him. So hopefully that’s on the way.
04:10 Steph, at 16-16 going to the New Year. What does that reflect about who you guys are right now, but what you guys can be going forward?
04:19 How do kids say it? We’re very mid right now. We’re just very average. And the — I think we understand that better days can be ahead. You’re not in that big of a hole in the Western Conference, if you look at the standings. You go on a five-, six-game run — to us, that sounds like a lot, but it is — like the numbers, you can make up a lot of ground pretty quickly. It’s a tough, tough task, but that fine line between losing hope and confidence and understanding one good week, you’re kind of back in it, that’s where we are.
05:03 I feel like it’s been a similar conversation the last couple of years around this time. I mean, you almost might have had a direct same quote of being average. Does it feel different or does it kind of feel like deja vu?
05:22 There’s a little deja vu, but I think it’s different just in the sense of how we started the year. There’s some — it’s kind of like the ’22 year, but it’s obviously totally different where we were, had rough January through April that year, but we started 18-2. The last two years has been kind of the opposite where you had slow starts and had to chase a little bit and finish the year strong. This year we started 12-3 and that’s flipped on his head, so it is an emotional roller-coaster, for sure. It’s frustrating because you’re losing games for all different types of reasons, but as the calendar flips into the New Year and this small homestand that we’re on, like I said, it’s literally right there to turn the corner, to having a positive momentum and something that you can kind of hold on to as an identity of how we win basketball games. But if it doesn’t happen, then you’re in the situation where you’re having to answer the questions the same way, for sure. It’s definitely an emotional roller-coaster.
06:28 Hello, Stephen. How do you describe Trayce’s performance recently? He’s aggressive.
06:33 Trayce? He’s kind of indicative of our entire team. We’re playing with a lot of effort. Tonight he was — he missed a lot of bunnies, but he was flying around, trying to block shots, offensive rebounds, playing big in the post. That’s all you can really ask. He’s learning how to be a presence on both ends of the floor, having started these last couple of games and playing alongside Draymond. So you’re excited to see the strides. I know he wants to play better in the sense of being able to finish at the basket when he has those opportunities, but I love his effort. I love his competitiveness. I love his will. It’ll help him in the long run.
07:30 You sat out one of the back-to-back games, played a physical defense tonight. Where are you at physically at this point in the season with the knees and anything else?
07:41 Honestly, I feel great. The Phoenix game, played 30-whatever-five minutes, came back fine tonight. Missed a lot of good looks, but they were playing box-and-1, playing zone, trying to just change up the look, sending bodies and hopefully what it looks like out there is that I’m healthy and it’s clear how I feel, which is great and able to play intense 30-plus-minute nights and try to be effective.
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