Ex-Warriors GM Bob Myers reveals Kerr’s greatest strength originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steve Kerr is a man of many talents.
He has won nine NBA championships – five as a 15-year-old player and four as coach of the Warriors over 10 seasons – and always stands up for what he believes in.
When you examine what the 58-year-old has achieved, you can pick out what could be Kerr’s greatest strength. Speaking 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 said to Matt Steinmetz and Daryle Johnson. “I’ll say that as the season progresses [and] the playoffs are coming, the leadership around your coach – the balance in the huddle – I remember personally going through it [the 2015 NBA playoffs] with him. During these high-pressure moments, everyone thinks that everything will be fine, people say: ‘I was built for this.’ I don’t even know what it means. Very few people are built for that kind of pressure. For me, to walk next to Steve – obviously I wasn’t coaching or doing anything – to see his poise in ’15…’
Myers highlighted Kerr’s poise and confidence during the Warriors’ successful 2015 NBA Finals run, which kicked off a dynastic decade.
That series marked the turning of a new leaf for Golden State, as then-rookie coach Kerr led the rising trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green past LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Warriors’ first game. four titles in a period of eight seasons.
Myers had ultimate confidence in Kerr’s abilities as a coach and reaffirmed his belief in 2015. But Kerr’s big achievements as a player also stood out for the former front office member.
“I mean, this is a guy who hit a big shot with Michael Jordan passing him the ball,” Myers added, like a proud fan. “I would have bricked that thing… It takes real guts to do what he did as a player.
“For me and the organization to see him calmly lead in the play-offs – and I think for players who reach the finals, everything is taken to the next level – for players who hadn’t been there before to see Steve in the eyes in the huddles, in the shootaround, in the finals, there’s no one better than Steve, I think, when he says, ‘Okay. This is what we’re going to do.’ And you believe him. You believe him when he says things because he has been there.
Kerr has lived a full basketball life, which continually helps him earn the trust of his players as a coach in the heat of the moment. Myers’ citation of Kerr’s ice-cold game-winning 3-pointer in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals — which came on an assist from Jordan — is the icing on the cake for Myers’ point.
Kerr’s poise is difficult for coaches in the NBA to match. Still, Myers had more to acknowledge about the player-turned-coach.
“And [Kerr has] the strength of character,” Myers concluded. “For example, as a partner for me, I would say that if I am selfish, it is difficult to have someone who I respect and who is decent around me every day. Coaches are different types of guys. So it was incredible to have a really high-quality person for me.”
Myers and Kerr were partners with the Warriors for nearly a decade. They accomplished a lot together as close friends and colleagues and helped change Golden State and the NBA.
Perhaps none of this would have been possible without Kerr’s composure.
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