Former 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 and four as a player. Warriors coach for 10 seasons — and always stands up for what he believes in.
When examining what the 58-year-old has achieved, one can pick and choose what Kerr’s greatest strength could be. when talking to 95.7 “Steiny and Guru” game On Tuesday, former Golden State general manager and president of basketball operations Bob Myers gave his response.
“His poise,” Myers told Matt Steinmetz and Daryle Johnson. “I say as the season goes on (and) the playoffs come, the leadership around your coach, the poise in the pre-meeting, I personally remember going through (the 2015 NBA playoffs) with him. Everyone thinks that during these high-pressure times everything will be fine, people say, “I’m made for this.” I don’t even know what it means. There are very few people made for that kind of pressure. For me, walking next to Steve (obviously, he wasn’t training or doing anything) and seeing the poise of him in 2015…”
Myers was emphatic about Kerr’s self-control and confidence during the Warriors’ successful run to the 2015 NBA Finals, which was the start of a dynastic decade.
That run marked the turning of a new leaf for Golden State, as then-rookie coach Kerr led the Promising Steph Curry trioKlay Thompson and Draymond Green outlasted LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the Warriors’ first of four titles over an eight-season span.
Myers had the highest level of confidence in Kerr’s abilities as a coach and confirmed his belief in 2015. But Kerr’s great performances as a player also stood out to the former front office member.
“I mean, this is a guy who made a great shot with Michael Jordan passing him the ball,” Myers added, like a proud fan. “He would have blocked that thing… It takes a lot of courage to do what he did as a player.
“For me and for the organization to see him calmly lead in the playoffs, and I think for the players, getting to the finals, everything is elevated, so that the players who had not been there before looked into Steve’s eyes in the meetings, I think in shootaround, in the finals, there’s no one better than Steve to say, ‘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 life in basketball, which continually helps him earn the trust of his players as a coach. in the heat of battle. Myers’ mention of Kerr’s icy game-winning 3-pointer in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals, which came off a Jordan assist, is icing on the cake to Myers’ point.
Kerr’s poise is difficult for coaches across the NBA to match. However, Myers still had more to acknowledge about the player-turned-coach.
“And (Kerr has) strength of character,” Myers concluded. “As a partner for me, if I’m selfish, I would say that having someone who I respect and who is decent around me every day is hard to find. Coaches are different types of guys. So having a high-quality person for me was incredible.”
Myers and Kerr were partners with the Warriors for nearly a decade. They accomplished a lot together as great friends and coworkers and helped change Golden State and the NBA.
Perhaps none of this would have been possible if it weren’t for Kerr’s serenity.