Steve Kerr will smile and tell you he’s merely riding the coattails of basketball legends. But there’s gotta be something to all those NBA championship rings on his fingers.
While he served as a role player while winning three titles with Chicago Bulls dynasty and two more in the first half of the San Antonio Spurs’ dynasty run, Kerr is now a central figure in the Warriors’ efforts to secure their spot among the NBA’s all-time great dynasties.
This marks the 11th NBA Finals in Kerr’s career as a player (5-0) and coach (3-2). Now the Warriors will carry a 3-2 series lead into The Boston Garden for Thursday night’s closeout opportunity in Game 6. Kerr is one win away from getting his ninth ring.
“You hang around superstars long enough,” he said with a smile Wednesday, “you're going to get some residual success following your win.”
Michael Jordan. Scottie Pippen. Phil Jackson. Gregg Popovich. Tim Duncan. Steph Curry. Draymond Green. Klay Thompson.
That’s a who’s who of NBA royalty. Kerr’s won championships with all of ‘em. Perhaps that’s why he brings an infallible confidence to the huddles in clutch moments.
Twenty-five years ago, he took a pass from Jordan and swished a jumper to clinch the 1997 NBA Finals as the shot clock expired with five seconds remaining. There’s nothing he hasn’t seen.
“There are times where we get a little rattled as a team and he's just right there, steady force, like, ‘Hey, man, just calm down, settle down’,” Green said. “And it wasn't always like that. It wasn't always where you never, ever see him rattled. He's just in these moments, that gives us so much confidence, when you walk in the huddle and when you walk in to a team meeting and when you walk on the bus and he's just carrying himself with the confidence that he has, you feel invincible.”
He’s got the interpersonal skills to handle big personalities and egos in the locker room. His stubbornness and substitution patterns can drive some Warriors fans mad, but you can’t argue with the results. Kerr is also renowned for keeping everyone on the bench engaged, because he knows what it’s like to be a role player.
Kerr cherrypicked coaching techniques he learned along the way then molded them to his unique roster. He lets things fit and flourish instead of forcing an agenda. His former Spurs teammate Bruce Bowen recently joined 95.7 The Game’s “Damon & Ratto” and put it succinctly.
"If you ever heard anybody say anything negative about Steve, that person is probably the issue,” Bowen said. “He's like a chameleon, he can blend into any situation. There is a special calling upon this individual."
Don’t get fooled by Kerr’s affable off-court demeanor. He’s a killer competitor. Ever since taking over as Warriors coach in 2015, he’s helped guide the franchise to six NBA Finals in eight seasons.
Draymond also said Kerr has built up a lot of trust in his staff and delegates more responsibilities now than earlier in his tenure. Two of his assistants already have head-coaching gigs lined up – Mike Brown with the Sacramento Kings and Kenny Atkinson with the Charlotte Hornets.
Just as Pop has a coaching tree, Kerr’s is growing, too.
“The man's knowledge for the game is second to none,” Klay said. “That's why I love being around him. He's got so many historical examples of how to get out of sticky situations. He's a great leader. He deserves every praise that comes his way.”
Kerr was named a top 15 NBA coach of all-time earlier this year despite having just seven full seasons under his belt. He’ll be leading Team USA as head coach throughout the next Olympic cycle heading into the 2024 Paris Summer Games. With one more ring, he’ll have four as a coach, just one away from his mentor Pop. At the age of 56, you’d have to think Kerr has carte blanche to coach the Warriors for as long as he wants.
"I’ve lived this incredibly charmed basketball life,” Kerr said last week. “There’s no way around it. I don’t take it for granted.”
