SAN FRANCISCO -- Gregg Popovich is headed for Springfield. Is Steve Kerr? Time will tell.
What’s clear is the connection between a head coach and his former player. Popovich and Kerr’s relationship, mentorship, and now friendship have grown since the two were introduced in 1999. Their demeanors may differ, but their ideologies and success are aligned more than any two active head coaches in the NBA today.
Popovich is the longest-tenured head coach in basketball. Kerr is third. Their longevity is as recognizable as their coaching style. They’ve combined for nine championships at the helms of San Antonio and Golden State. While some might view Kerr as a branch of Popovich, the 73-year-old veteran offered a, naturally, ulterior perspective.
“I learned just as much or more from him than he did from me,” said Popovich before Friday’s game. “[Kerr] played for Phil Jackson and he learned a little bit there too. He understands the NBA game, he knows what wins and loses, and he’s a purist in the sense that he wants all five players to play together. He’s been fantastic in being consistent in that regard. Every player can’t play that game. Guys that play their roles for the sake of winning, and winning big.”
Though Kerr was never a coach under the 27-year veteran, the “Popovichian” influence is clear when Kerr explains his coaching philosophies. Decision-making, speed, passing, and versatility are all keys to the 0.5 basketball that Golden State’s dynasty is built on. Those familiar with the Spurs from the late 1990s to mid-2010s can see the influence on the Warriors under Kerr. Both head coaches emphasize pace and ball movement in an era that demands it more than ever.
Their personalities land as different. Popovich is known for his unorthodox and occasionally forceful approach to basketball. Before the Warriors handed the Spurs a 130-115 defeat Friday, Kerr explained what it was like to play for Pop: “The way he would challenge us back then, he would put the fear of god in us at times.”
Now, Popovich reserves that fear for journalists who test his patience. Kerr’s furor can also reach a boiling point, though never to an extent like Popovich when he set the NBA record for the quickest ejection, 63 seconds into a game in 2019.
Tempers aside, Popovich and Kerr’s methods are equal parts of psychology and strategy. They also involve pantheon-level play. Each had a ‘Big 3.’ Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili were San Antonio's, like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green now are for Golden State. While talent is the foundation of any franchise’s success, Kerr and Popovich maximize that ability like few head coaches in history. Curry and Duncan singularly connect the fabric, but every great player requires direction. Michael Jordan had Phil Jackson. So did Kobe Bryant.
Magic Johnson had Pat Riley. So on and so forth.
Both have also adapted to a constantly changing game. Kerr believes Popovich was “ahead of the curve” in that regard. When Kerr first got to the Spurs, they were a “stagnant, inside-out team, and within five or six years, they had the most beautiful offense in the league.” Fast forward to 2015, Kerr quickly converted the Warriors from a primarily one-on-one, pick-and-roll offense to one predicated on motion and passing.
Kerr and Popovich have established institutions in basketball. They’ve adapted their philosophies to various groups, with the same core, and found sustained success. Each has the willingness to reshape, not revise completely. Whether Popovich is announced as a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer on Saturday, is irrelevant. In the words of Kerr, it’s always been “a matter of when.” Kerr might not admit it, but that sentiment also applies to himself.
Like teacher, like student.
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