As, arguably, one of the greatest and most accomplished coaches of the modern generation, it’s no surprise that Steve Kerr got the nod to replace Gregg Popovich as coach of Team USA.
On Monday, when he was formally announced, he had a chat with the media on his new role, expanding on what it means to him to be offered such a prestigious position.
“Sometimes I look back at my career and wonder how it all happened,” Kerr said, doling out praise to the coaches he’s worked with throughout his career as mentors, including his coach at Arizona Lute Olson and NBA coaches Lenny Wilkens and Phil Jackson. “I’ve had amazing people who guided me and somehow the path continues and I’m not going to stop and think about it too much because I’ll wonder how it happened.”
Kerr’s arrival marks the begging of what is sure to be an amazing and prosperous era for USA basketball. And while Popovich did not stick around long as head coach of the team, his impact will still be felt on the team through Kerr, who admits that much of what he does in Golden State comes from the Spurs legend.
“Having played for him for four seasons and the opportunity to work with him, I learned so much about the game and people and culture,” he said. “A lot of what we do at Golden State is what I learned from Pop. But one thing he taught me is you have to be yourself. You can’t be anyone else, you have to be yourself.”
Kerr, 56, was hired in 2014 after the Warriors lost their first-round series against the Clippers. Since then, he led them through one of the most successful stretches by any team in history.
While many fans may say Kerr has it easy, there is no denying the knowledge, charisma, and leadership he brings to the Warriors every single day.
Team USA is hoping those same attributes will help them win more Gold medals in the future.
