Ask any player in the league and they will tell you that Steve Kerr is one of the best coaches in the entire league. He is a championship-winning coach, who has won multiple titles and is very strategic in his gameplans. Perhaps most importantly, he is a player’s coach.
He was a player before, but he simply always has his players’ backs and understands them on a deeper level. It is no wonder why he is so highly rated among other teams and players.
But it didn’t all begin here. Kerr has had one of the most unique careers that a player can have, from being a role-player on a Chicago Bulls superteam to coaching some of the league’s greatest players.
Here is the story of Steve Kerr’s NBA career, including some amazing facts that many of you might not have known.
Three-peat with the Chicago Bulls
The first step of Kerr’s career included him being a part of a very strong Cleveland Cavaliers team led by star point guard Mark Price. Kerr was a backup guard on that team, and his role was to make jump shots- which he did better than almost every player in the league. Kerr was also part of the squad that blew out the Miami Heat by a record margin in 1991, winning 148-80.
Kerr then found himself a part of an Orlando Magic team that features a young and dominant Shaquille O’Neal on the roster. Shaq was a force of nature, destroying every player in his way and showcasing agility on the court despite being over 7 feet tall and weighing close to 300 pounds. While Kerr did not necessarily have an impact on the Magic team, he did get to witness some amazing feats by the big fella including the time where he dunked so viciously that the entire backboard fell down.
Perhaps most importantly, Kerr was a member of an all-time great Chicago Bulls team. This was mostly where Kerr’s name was made, and how he became well-known throughout the NBA. Kerr was never a star, but he was a dependable guard who could light it up on the floor when his jump shot started falling. Kerr was a part of a Bulls team led by Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson, that managed to 3-peat in dominating fashion. Being a part of an all-time great team certainly helped Kerr understand the game of basketball at a deeper level, and gave him the extra he needed to become a great coach later on.
Throughout his playing career with the Bulls, Kerr certainly had some unforgettable moments. The first being the fact that he hit an NBA Finals game-winning shot when Michael Jordan picked him out for an open jumper. Quite famously, Kerr mentioned to Michael during a timeout that he “was ready” if MJ got double-teamed. Kerr managed to find himself open and drain the shot to win the game.
Not to mention, Kerr also admitted that he was the player that got punched in the face by Michael. While certainly not a high point in an NBA career, it might mean something that Kerr was able to get under the skin of the greatest player of all time.
Steve Kerr won five titles as a player, three titles with the Chicago Bulls (1996-1998) and two titles with the San Antonio Spurs (1999, 2003).
Amazing fact is that he won 4 titles in a row, 3 with the Bulls and 1 with the Spurs from 1996-1999.
Steve Kerr as Commentator and Analyst
Kerr had the joy of being a part of a very popular and entertaining group of NBA legends as a commentator and analyst. He joined the likes of Mike Breen, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Reggie Miller to provide in-game analysis and commentary on live games.
He also was a part of TNT’s Inside The NBA, a very popular and entertaining sports show. Kerr also got to share some amazing stories of his playing career with fans all over the world.
Steve Kerr as a GM and Coach
Due to Kerr’s success as a player, it would not be long before Steve Kerr was hired to be a GM and eventually a head coach. Kerr was GM of a Phoenix Suns team that received Shaquille O’Neal and actually helped revive him to an All-Star season as he entered his late 30’s.
But perhaps the most important part of his career after a player was coaching the Golden State Warriors. Mark Jackson helped morph the Warriors into a very powerful team, but Kerr took them to another level. His man-management and deep insight into the game allowed the Warriors to flourish as a very dominant team, defeating the Cavaliers in the Finals for his first coaching ring. Kerr has the pleasure of coaching both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who are two players who have the luxury of saying they could shoot better than their coach.
Kerr then was able to coach Kevin Durant, who won the Warriors two more NBA titles in convincing fashion. In an inspiring run of five straight NBA Finals, Kerr coached a Warriors dynasty team that was able to go 73-9 in one season and win three titles over the span of Finals appearances. Not to mention, he got to coach the likes of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green while consistently getting a frontcourt seat to watching LeBron James.
Some Amazing Achievements and Facts
Kerr was never a star player or a Hall of Fame talent, but he managed to achieve some great things in the sport of basketball – mainly thanks to his unbelievable marksmanship from the perimeter.
Kerr won a Three-Point Shooting contest in 1997, his first and only victory at the event even though he competed in the competition before. Kerr also managed to end his playing career with the highest 3-pt FG percentage from the field, although this was later broken by Kyle Korver. Kerr ended his career with multiple rings as both a player and a coach and has even won two more NBA titles than the great Time Duncan and Gregg Popovich.
Overall, Kerr managed to win 3 NBA titles with the Bulls, two titles as a member of the Spurs, and 3 titles as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors. His success as a member of the NBA cannot be denied, and it is no coincidence that he has that many rings to show for. He truly loved the game of basketball, and it is great to see him succeed after enduring some hardships as a young man.
Check the amazing list of what he did in his career. Thanks to redditor for this awesome post.
– He was in the roster with young Shaq on Magic, where he witnessed the backboard being pulled down by Shaq
– He was in the winning roster of the biggest blowout in NBA History, Cleveland Miami 148-80
– He was in the three-peat with Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson
– Where he hit an NBA finals game-winning shot and also has the dubious honor of being punched by Michael
– He won Three-Point Shootout in 1997
– He won two more championships with Tim Duncan and Coach Pop
– Where he again got hot from three and won an NBA final games
– Ended playing career with the best three-point percentage (45.4%)
– Served as an NBA commentator on TNT and also got to hang out with the best sports show crew
– Served as an NBA General Manager where he gave the green light to the Mike 3 point offense
– Coached a team that went 5 straight NBA finals 3 rings and 73 – 9 record
– And coached two of the best pure scorers in NBA history, Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant.
Simply put, what a career.
