Stephen Douglas Kerr is an eight-time NBA Champion (five as a player and three as a head coach), who was a member of the Chicago Bulls for their second 3-peat (from 1994-98) and holds the all-time record for 3-point percentage (45.4%).
So, who is Steve Kerr? Here are some fast facts on the sharpshooting reserve guard of the Chicago Bulls' 1990s dynasty.
Background
Kerr was born in Beirut, Lebanon on September 27th, 1965.
After attending high school at the Palisades Charter in Los Angeles, Kerr graduated from the University of Arizona (1983-88) in 1988 with a Bachelor of General Studies with emphasis on history, sociology and English.
MORE: Which players today compare to 'The Last Dance' Bulls?
He was part of the last strictly amateur USA national team in 1986 to capture gold when he represented the nation at the 1986 FIBA World Championships in Spain.
Pre-Bulls NBA career
Kerr was drafted in the second round of the 1988 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns.
After a rookie year where he only played 26 games, all off the bench, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Three full seasons in Cleveland, playing 183 games (29 starts), Kerr was then was shipped to Orlando to play for the Magic for the 1992-93 season.
NBA career with the Bulls
Prior to the 1993-94 season, he signed with the Chicago Bulls, a season he went on to average career-highs of 8.6 points and 2.6 assists. But, with Jordan out of action for a majority of the next two seasons, Kerr and the Bulls failed to advance beyond the second round.
However, in the following three seasons (1996-98), Kerr played a vital role in the second unit as the Bulls, led by Jordan, won three straight championships.
In Game 6 of the 1997 Finals against the Utah Jazz, it was Kerr, who off the pass from Jordan, hit the shot that put the Bulls up 88-86 with only five seconds remaining.
Post-Bulls NBA career
After the title in 1998, Kerr was shipped to San Antonio where he was a member of the championships winning team in 1999. With that, he became the first non-Celtics NBA player since the 1960s to win four consecutive championships.
Over the next four years, he would be traded away and reacquired by the Spurs.
In 2003, his final year in the league, Kerr reminded everyone what he was capable of. He scored 12 points in 13 minutes, all in the second half, to help the Spurs eliminate the Mavericks in the 2003 Western Conference Finals.
After the 2003 NBA Finals, where he clinched his fifth ring and second as a Spur, Kerr announced his retirement.
In retirement - Broadcaster & Executive
Just after retiring, he joined Turner Network Television (TNT) as a commentator alongside Marv Albert. Other than a three-year break in-between, Kerr would call NBA and occasional NCAA games for TNT (and CBS) until 2014.
During the three years from 2007 and 2010, Kerr had taken up the role as General Manager of the Phoenix Suns. Under him, the Suns went 155-91 (63.1%) including a Conference Finals appearance in 2010 where they lost to the eventual champions in the Los Angeles Lakers.
In mid-June 2010, Kerr stepped down as President and GM for the Suns.
Head coach of the Golden State Warriors
Kerr was appointed as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors midway through May in 2014.
In his first five seasons with the team, he led them to a 312-88 record, for a regular-season winning percentage of 78.0%. The run included three championships (2015, 17, 18) in five Finals, a record-breaking 2015-16, where the Warriors broke the NBA record for wins in a season by finishing with a 73-9 record, and a record-setting 16-1 playoff run en route to the 2017 title.
Becoming the first person in NBA history to win 70 games as a player and coach, he was named Coach of the Year in 2016.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.
