Former Bulls sharpshooter Steve Kerr had a choice between two teams for his first NBA head coaching gig: the New York Knicks or Golden State Warriors. Most people would have picked the Knicks for obvious reasons, but Kerr went in another direction, and it may have been the best move for his coaching career.
“I would have been fired within two years and I’d be doing television right now,” said Kerr.
Kerr started as an average role player in the NBA and he’s most known for his tenure with the Bulls. Alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Kerr helped Chicago win three straight championships (1996, 1997, 1998). In 15 years in the league, he averaged 6.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game on 43.0% shooting.
After retiring in 2003, Kerr became a broadcaster and would call NBA games regularly. It wasn’t until the summer of 2014 that he got his next big NBA opportunity. That offseason, Kerr was courted to take the head coaching role for several teams, including the Knicks and Warriors.
The Knicks, even back then, were the biggest market in the NBA and offered Kerr the chance to coach at Madison Square Garden. With Carmelo Anthony, they already had a star in place and would have been the easy pick for most coaching prospects.
Instead, the Knicks settled on hiring Derek Fisher… who was fired two years later, just like Kerr said he would have been. To this day, Fisher has never gotten another head coaching opportunity while Kerr remains with the Warriors — having won four championships over the last 11 years.
In 2014, the franchise was utterly irrelevant and Stephen Curry was coming off his first All-Star appearance with averages of 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game on 47.1% shooting.
Somehow, Kerr knew that the Warriors were sitting on something special and the decision to join them that summer likely saved him from a dysfunctional tenure in New York City. Now, he’s part of basketball history thanks to the greatness of Steph.
Steve Kerr Admits His Career Is Tied To Stephen Curry
The Warriors hadn’t accomplished much before the rise of the dynasty with Curry, Klay, and Draymond Green. But Kerr joined at just the right time, and his success as a coach will forever be tied to the rise of No. 30.
As for the end, Kerr has no plans to retire anytime soon but as the famed core gets older, the odds increase that the Warriors will move on from the 5x NBA champion.
“I think every coaching job has an expiration date. It’s important for all parties involved to be aware of that,” Kerr said.
The Warriors have been through great times and miserable times, but Kerr has remained at the helm ever since he was hired. Under his leadership, the Warriors have thrived at a historic pace and there is still more work to be done.
This season, at sixth in the West (34-28), the Warriors are once again in play to make a title run. This time, with Jimmy Butler in the mix, Kerr’s role is more important than ever in ensuring that his team is fully adjusted to the new roster.
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