Steve Kerr is a man of many talents.
He has won nine NBA championships -- five as a 15-year player and four as the Warriors’ coach of 10 seasons -- and always stands up for what he believes in.
When examining what the 58-year-old has accomplished, one has their pick as to what Kerr’s greatest strength could be. In talking to 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny and Guru” on Tuesday, former Golden State general manager and president of basketball operations Bob Myers gave his answer.
“His poise,” Myers told Matt Steinmetz and Daryle Johnson. “I say that as the season goes on [and] the playoffs come along, the leadership around your coach -- the poise in the huddle -- I remember personally going through [the 2015 NBA playoffs] with him. Everybody thinks during these high-pressure moments they’re going to be fine, people say ‘I’m built for this.’ I don’t even know what means. There are very few people built for that kind of pressure. For me, to walk alongside Steve -- obviously, I wasn’t coaching or doing anything -- to see his poise in ‘15 …”
Myers was emphatic about Kerr’s self control and confidence during the Warriors’ successful 2015 NBA Finals run, which was the beginning of a dynastic decade.
That run marked the turning of a new leaf for Golden State, as the then-rookie coach Kerr led the up-and-coming trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green past LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Warriors’ first of four titles in an eight-season span.
Myers had the ultimate level of trust in Kerr’s abilities as a coach and confirmed his belief in 2015. But Kerr’s big-time performances as a player also stood out to the former front office member.
“I mean, this is a guy that hit a huge shot with Michael Jordan passing him the ball,” Myers added, like a proud fan. “I would’ve bricked that thing … That takes some real guts to do what he did as a player.
“For me and the organization to watch him lead calmly in the playoffs -- and I think for players, getting to the finals, everything gets elevated -- for players that hadn't been there before to look in Steve's eyes in the huddles, in the shootaround, in the finals, there's no one better, than Steve, I think, at saying, ‘OK. This is what we're gonna do.’ And you believe him. You believe him when he says things because he's been there.”
Kerr has lived a full basketball life, which continuously helps him earn the trust of his players as a coach in the heat of battle. Myers’ citation of Kerr’s ice-cold game-winning 3-pointer in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals -- which came off an assist from Jordan -- is the icing on the cake to Myers’ point.
Kerr’s poise is hard to match for coaches across the NBA. Yet, Myers still had more to acknowledge about the player-turned-coach.
“And [Kerr has] the strength of character,” Myers concluded. “Like, as a partner for me, if I'm being selfish, I would say that just having someone that I respect and that is decent around me every day -- it's hard to find. Coaches are different types of dudes. So just to have a really quality person for me was unbelievable.”
Myers and Kerr were partners with the Warriors nearly for a decade. They accomplished a lot together as great friends and coworkers and helped change Golden State and the NBA.
Perhaps none of it would’ve been possible if not for Kerr’s collectedness.
