Featured Image Credit: Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
Topics: Basketball, Michael Jordan, NBA, Steph Curry
Ben McAleer
Topics: Basketball, Michael Jordan, NBA, Steph Curry
Given the rise in termination rate among NBA coaches in recent years, longevity is hardly a word you’d associate with the sport. Steve Kerr, then, is an exception to the rule.
Kerr has now been in charge of the Golden State Warriors for 11 seasons, and he shows no signs of slowing. The 59-year-old is a five-time NBA champion as a player, and has done so four times as a coach.
Every winner’s ring during his time on the sideline came at the Golden State Warriors helm, which he has kept warm for coming up to 12 years now. Kerr and the Warriors have previously gone four years without claiming an NBA title, while they last did so in 2022 as the San Francisco franchise bested the Boston Celtics in the best-of-seven series.
Curry was named the MVP of the series three years’ ago and Kerr has admitted that theNBA icon is the reason he is still in a job.
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"First of all, I'm well aware the reason I'm still here is because Steph Curry is still here. I'm not being modest, I'm just telling the truth," Kerr is quoted as saying by Yahoo Sports.
“If I didn't have Steph, I would have been like every other NBA coach and lasted a few years and then gone somewhere else.”
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Both Curry and Kerr hold one another in high regard, which may be one of the key reasons the latter has remained in charge of the Warriors for so long despite periods without NBA championships
It’s similar to Phil Jackson’s comments on Michael Jordan from the former’s book Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success where the ex-Chicago Bulls boss spoke highly of the NBA legend. Jackson coached the Bulls from 1989 to 1998, during which he oversaw a sustained period of success as he won six NBA Championships.
The 79-year-old, who also coached Kobe Bryant during their time together with the LA Lakers, provided some details on the comparison between Kobe and Jordan.
“One of the biggest differences between the two stars from my perspective was Michael's superior skills as a leader,” Jackson is quoted as writing by ESPN.
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“Though at times he could be hard on his teammates, Michael was masterful at controlling the emotional climate of the team with the power of his presence.
“Kobe had a long way to go before he could make that claim. He talked a good game, but he'd yet to experience the cold truth of leadership in his bones, as Michael had in his bones.”
On the defensive skills, Jackson again favoured Jordan, stating: “No question, Michael was a tougher, more intimidating defender. He could break through virtually any screen and shut down almost any player with his intense, laser-focused style of defence.”
Proof, then, that even the greatest NBA coaches rely on star power to so often drag teams through the mire. Without Jordan at the Bulls, and Kobe with the Lakers, Jackson may not have lasted as long as he did with their respective franchises.