Stephen Douglas Kerr (born September 27, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the U.S. national team. He is known as one of the most accurate three-point shooters in NBA history and holds the record for highest three-point percentage. Kerr is also a nine-time NBA champion, having won five titles as a player and four as head coach of the Warriors. He was named one of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History.
Kerr played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats. He was a two-time first-team all-conference player in the Pac-10 (now known as the Pac-12) and earned All-American honors as a senior in 1988. In the 1987–88 season, Kerr set the NCAA single-season three-point field goal percentage record (57.3%). Selected by the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the 1988 NBA draft, Kerr played 15 seasons in the NBA. He won five NBA championships as a player—three with the Chicago Bulls and two with the San Antonio Spurs—and retired as the all-time NBA leader in single-season three-point shooting percentage and career three-point shooting percentage.
Following his retirement as a player, Kerr became a minority owner of the Phoenix Suns as part of a group led by Robert Sarver that purchased the team in 2004. In June 2007, Phoenix named Kerr the team's president of basketball operations and general manager. Kerr announced he was leaving the position in June 2010. After stepping down from his post with the Suns, Kerr worked as a color commentator for NBA on TNT until 2014.
In May 2014, Kerr was named head coach of the Golden State Warriors. Under his leadership, the franchise entered the most successful period in its history, reaching the NBA Finals six times and winning four championships (in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022). The 2015–16 Warriors won an unprecedented 73 games, breaking the record for the most wins in an NBA season, which was formerly held by the 1995–96 Bulls which he also played for.
Kerr was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Malcolm H. Kerr, a Lebanese-born American academic, and his wife Ann Kerr (née Zwicker), a California-born academic, both of whom specialized in the Middle East.[1] He has three siblings.[2] His grandfather, Stanley Kerr, volunteered with the Near East Relief after the Armenian genocide and rescued women and orphans in Aleppo and Marash before eventually settling in Beirut.[3] Kerr spent much of his childhood in Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries. While in Beirut in the summer of 1983, he met a number of U.S. Marines who were later killed in the Beirut barracks bombings.[4] Kerr attended Cairo American College in Egypt, the American Community School in Beirut, Lebanon, and Palisades High School (now Palisades Charter High School) in Los Angeles, graduating in 1983.
Malcolm Kerr was killed by members of the Islamic Jihad on January 18, 1984 at the age of 52 while he was serving as president of the American University of Beirut.[5][6][7][8] He was shot twice in the back of his head by gunmen using suppressed handguns in the hallway outside his office.[2][6][7][8] Steve was only 18 years old at the time, and a college freshman;[5] regarding his father's death, Kerr has said: "Before my father was killed, my life was impenetrable. Bad things happened to other people."[1] Ann Kerr married Kenneth Coogan Adams in December 2008, becoming Ann Kerr-Adams.[4] Kenneth Adams died on September 12, 2017.[9]
In the summer of 1986, Kerr was named to the U.S. national team that competed in the FIBA World Championship in Spain. The team won the title for the first time since 1954, and was the last American men's senior squad not to feature NBA players that had won a major international tournament.[10] Kerr suffered a knee injury during the competition.[11]
Minimally recruited out of high school, Kerr played basketball at the University of Arizona from 1983 to 1988. Kerr injured his knee playing in the 1986 FIBA World Championship, forcing him to miss the Wildcats' entire 1986–87 season.[10]
During pre-game warmups at arch-rival Arizona State University in 1988, Kerr was taunted by Sun Devils fans with chants that included "PLO" and "Where’s your father?"[12][13] Though tearful, Kerr led the Wildcats to victory, scoring 20 points in the first half, making all six of his three-point attempts.[13] Arizona State athletic director Charles Harris sent a letter of apology to Kerr a few days later.[14] Along with fellow All-American teammate Sean Elliott, Kerr helped the Wildcats reach the Final Four of the 1988 NCAA tournament. A two-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection,[15] he also set an NCAA single-season record for 3-point percentage (57.3%, 114–199) in 1987–88.[a] The NCAA introduced the three-point shot while he was redshirting. In his only collegiate season with the three-point shot, he established standards that formerly stood as Pac-12 records for nearly two decades: single-season three-point shots made (114; stood until Salim Stoudamire posted 120 in 2005), Pac-12 tournament run three-point field goal percentage (.750, min 5 made; Marcus Williams, .833, 2006).[17] Kerr led the Pac-10 in free throw shooting in 1985–86 (89.9%).[18]
Kerr graduated from the University of Arizona in 1988 with a Bachelor of General Studies, with an emphasis on history, sociology, and English.[19][20]
Kerr was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the 1988 NBA draft. He was chosen as the 50th overall pick.[21] He averaged 2.6 points per game for the Suns in his rookie season.[22]
In 1989, Kerr was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for draft consideration.[23] In more than three seasons with the Cavaliers,[22] he set the team's franchise single-season (.507, 1989–90)[24] and career three-point field goal percentage (.472) records.[25][26]
In December 1992, Kerr was traded to the Orlando Magic for draft considerations.[27] He averaged 2.6 points per game during his tenure with Orlando.[22]
In 1993, Kerr signed with the Chicago Bulls.[28] He played five seasons for the Bulls[29] and typically came off of the bench, playing the role of three-point shooting specialist.[30] The Bulls made the playoffs in the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons, but without Michael Jordan's presence for all of 1994 and much of 1995, the team was unable to advance to the Finals. However, with Jordan back full-time for the 1995–96 season, the Bulls set a then-NBA record of 72–10 and defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals in six games.
In 1997, the Bulls logged a 69–13 regular-season record and reached the 1997 NBA Finals, where they faced the Utah Jazz. At the end of Game 6, with the score tied at 86, Kerr took a pass from Jordan and made a 17-foot jump shot to win the championship for the Bulls.[31] Kerr also won the Three-Point Contest at the 1997 NBA All-Star Weekend.[32]
In the last minute of Game Two of the 1998 NBA Finals against Utah, Kerr missed a three-pointer, grabbed his own rebound, and made a pass to Jordan. Jordan made a crucial three-point play, putting the Bulls in the lead for good and helping the team tie the series at one game apiece.[citation needed] The Bulls went on to win the series in six games.
Kerr set the Bulls' franchise single-season (.524, 1994–95)[33] and career three-point field goal percentage (.479) records.[34][35] During his tenure with the Bulls, Kerr averaged 8.2 points per game on 50.7% shooting.[22]
In January 1999, Kerr was acquired by the San Antonio Spurs in a sign-and-trade deal with the Bulls, whereby Chuck Person and a first-round pick in the 2000 NBA draft was sent to Chicago.[36] The Spurs reached the 1999 NBA Finals and won their first NBA Championship with a 4–1 series victory over the New York Knicks. Kerr and Frank Saul were the only two players in NBA history to have won three championships with two different teams in consecutive seasons,[37][38] until Patrick McCaw, whom Kerr later coached with the Warriors, achieved the same feat in 2019.[39]
On July 24, 2001, Kerr was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers alongside Derek Anderson in a deal that brought Steve Smith to the Spurs.[40] Kerr would remain in Portland for the 2001–02 season, playing in 65 games and averaging 4.1 points per game.[22]
On August 2, 2002, Kerr was traded back to San Antonio along with Erick Barkley and a 2003 second-round pick. In return, the Trail Blazers received Charles Smith, Amal McCaskill, and Antonio Daniels.[41] Kerr played in nearly every game (75) the following year, which was his final season in the league.[42] In Game 6 of the 2003 Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, Kerr made four second-half three-pointers that helped the Spurs win the game and eliminate Dallas from the playoffs.[43] The Spurs eventually won the NBA championship by beating the New Jersey Nets during the 2003 NBA Finals in six games.
Kerr announced his retirement after the 2003 NBA Finals. During his NBA career, Kerr won five NBA championships. He retired as the league's all-time leader in single-season three-point shooting percentage (.524 in 1994–95) and career three-point shooting percentage (.454).[44] As of 2024, Kerr is the only NBA player to win four straight NBA titles after 1969.[45]
In 2003, Kerr became a broadcast analyst for Turner Network Television (TNT), offering commentary alongside analyst Marv Albert. During his tenure, Kerr performed a segment sponsored by Coors Light called Steve's Refreshing Thoughts in which he brought up interesting facts in NBA history. This segment continued through sponsorship and became known as Steve Wonders, sponsored by Sprint. In the same time period, Kerr also contributed to Yahoo! as an NBA commentator.
Kerr has provided his voice for the in-game commentary of EA Sports video games NBA Live 06, NBA Live 07, NBA Live 08, NBA Live 09 and NBA Live 10 with Albert. He has also provided his voice as a color analyst for NBA 2K12, NBA 2K13, NBA 2K14 and NBA 2K15. Kerr remained a commentator in NBA 2K15 despite becoming the Golden State Warriors coach for the 2014–15 season several months prior to the game's release. His commentary also appears during All-Star play in the seventh gen port of NBA 2K16.
Kerr left broadcasting in 2007 to become general manager for the Phoenix Suns, but it was confirmed on June 28, 2010, that he would return as an NBA analyst for TNT starting with the 2010–11 NBA season. In 2011, he also called the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship on Turner Sports and CBS, teaming up with lead broadcasters Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg for the First Four and Final Four games, and with Albert in other rounds. Kerr was also a regular contributor to the website Grantland from 2011 until it closed in 2015.
In 2023, Kerr portrayed a cartoon version of himself on the animated series Clone High, where he was the judge of a fictitious reality show called Tropical Hospital.
On April 15, 2004, Kerr was announced as a member of a potential group of buyers that would acquire his old team, the Phoenix Suns, from Jerry Colangelo for $300 million. Kerr became part of Suns management, acting as a consultant.[46][47] During the 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend, he was a member of the San Antonio team that won the Shooting Stars Competition.[48]
On June 2, 2007, Kerr announced that he would become the general manager of the Phoenix Suns beginning with the 2007–08 season.[49] In 2008, the Suns traded forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat in exchange for Shaquille O'Neal.[50] The Suns were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the first round of the playoffs. On December 10, 2008, Kerr continued to remake the Suns roster by trading Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and Sean Singletary to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley, and the Bobcats' 2010 second-round draft pick, which was used to draft Gani Lawal of Georgia Tech.[51] On June 25, 2009, he traded O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, a future second-round draft pick and cash.[50][52]
On May 5, 2010, the Suns wore their "Noche Latina" Los Suns jerseys in Game 2 against the Spurs to be united against the controversial Arizona immigration law. Kerr himself compared the law to Nazi Germany.[53]
In 2010, Kerr left the Suns as president of basketball operations and general manager.[54][55] He continued to own less than one percent of the Suns' organization until 2014, when he decided to coach the Golden State Warriors.[citation needed]
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On May 14, 2014, Kerr reached an agreement to become the head coach for the Golden State Warriors, succeeding Mark Jackson in a five-year, $25 million deal.[56][57][58] Kerr coached in the 2014 Summer League for the Warriors. During the 2014–15 season, the team's offense employed elements of the triangle offense from his playing days in Chicago under Phil Jackson, the spacing and pace of Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, and the uptempo principles Mike D'Antoni and later Alvin Gentry used in Phoenix when Kerr was the general manager.[59][60]
After the Warriors beat the Houston Rockets to win their 14th consecutive game, Kerr became the first coach to start his career with a 19–2 record.[61] This beat out Al Cervi and his 18–2 start with the Syracuse Nationals. On December 10, 2014, Kerr became the first NBA rookie head coach to win 21 of his first 23 games.[62] He was named the head coach of the Western Conference team for the 2015 NBA All-Star Game after the Warriors had the best record in the conference.[63] On April 4, the Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 123–110 to clinch home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, and Kerr got his 63rd win of the season to become the highest winning rookie head coach in NBA history, passing Tom Thibodeau and his 62 wins with the Chicago Bulls in the 2010–11 season. In the NBA Coach of the Year voting, Kerr was the runner-up to Mike Budenholzer.[citation needed]
The Warriors ultimately finished with one of the best regular seasons in NBA history, and the greatest in the team's 69-year history. They ended with an overall record of 67–15, becoming the 10th team to win 67 or more games in a single season. It was the first time the Warriors had ever won as many as 60 games in a season; their previous high was 59 in the 1975–76 season. They also ended with a 39–2 home record, which is tied for the second-best home record in NBA history. The Warriors were first in defensive efficiency for the season and second in offensive efficiency, barely missing the mark that the Julius Erving–led Sixers achieved by being first in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Warriors became the first team in NBA history to have two win streaks over 15 at home (18 and 19).[citation needed]
In the opening round of the playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans, Kerr led the Warriors to their first four-game playoff sweep since the 1975 NBA Finals. Afterwards, the team beat the Memphis Grizzlies (4–2, in the second round). Down 2–1 in the series, Kerr made an unconventional adjustment in Game 4 to leave the Grizzlies' Tony Allen open and have his defender, center Andrew Bogut, guard the interior. Kerr's strategy was lauded after Allen, Memphis' best wing defender but a poor jump-shooter, was benched and limited to 16 minutes after missing wide open shots.[64][65][66] The Warriors then defeated the Houston Rockets (4–1, in the Western Conference finals), making the NBA Finals for the first time in 40 years.
The Warriors faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals. Kerr and coach David Blatt were both in their first season as NBA head coaches, and this was the first time a pair of rookie head coaches faced each other in the NBA Finals since the NBA's first year of existence, in 1947 with Eddie Gottlieb of the Philadelphia Warriors and Harold Olsen of the Chicago Stags competing.[67] After the Warriors went down 2–1 to Cleveland, Kerr started swingman Andre Iguodala in place of Bogut, jump-starting their stagnant offense for a 103–82 road victory that evened the series. It was Iguodala's first start of the season, and the small unit came to be known as the Death Lineup. After the game, Kerr admitted to lying to the press in response to pregame questions about potential changes to his starting lineup.[68] The Warriors went on to win the championship in six games, defeating the Cavaliers, giving Kerr his sixth championship and his first as a head coach.
After the first two days of the defending champion Warriors' training camp, Kerr took an indefinite leave of absence to rehabilitate his back, which had caused problems since the 2015 NBA Finals.[69] Around this time, assistant coach Luke Walton assumed Kerr's coaching duties. Kerr missed all of 2015 and most of January 2016, although technically the NBA credited Walton's win–loss record to Kerr.[70] Kerr said "I think it's ridiculous", when asked about getting all of Walton's wins.[71] On January 22, 2016, Kerr returned to coaching after missing 43 games, but warned he might need to miss games occasionally if there was a recurrence of the headaches and pain related to the spinal fluid leak that sidelined him. The Warriors went 39–4 with interim coach Luke Walton.[72] The Warriors went 34–5 after Kerr returned to coaching, and the team broke the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls 72–10 record by winning 73 games.[73] Kerr became the first person in NBA history to be a part of 70-win teams as a player and head coach and was named 2015–16 NBA Coach of the Year.[74] Kerr led the Warriors to the 2016 NBA Finals, where they would again face the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Warriors lost in seven games despite a 3–1 lead.
On November 20, 2016, the NBA announced that Kerr had been fined $25,000 for public criticism of officiating during a radio interview with KNBR 680 three days prior.[75] He missed time during the 2017 playoffs due to recurring back issues.[76] Associate head coach Mike Brown acted as acting head coach during periods of Kerr's absence, and Brown continued head coaching into the playoffs leading the Warriors to a 13–0 record in the postseason. Kerr returned in Game 2 of the 2017 NBA Finals, where the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. The Warriors finished the playoffs with a 16–1 record, the best postseason winning percentage in NBA history.[77] Kerr is the fourth coach in NBA history to win two championships in his first three seasons of coaching. He won his third championship as a head coach when the Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games during the 2018 NBA Finals to give Kerr his eighth championship of his career. The Warriors reached their fifth straight Finals under Kerr in 2019, but were defeated by the Toronto Raptors in six games. During Game 5, starting power forward Kevin Durant tore his Achilles, and in Game 6, starting shooting guard Klay Thompson tore his ACL.[78]
During the 2019–20 season, with Thompson out for the year and franchise point guard Stephen Curry only playing five games due to a hand injury, the Warriors finished with the worst record (15–50) in the league. It marked the first time in Kerr's coaching career that he had missed the playoffs.[79] In 2020–21, with Thompson still out due to an Achilles tear but Curry healthy, the Warriors qualified for the newly implemented play-in tournament, but ultimately did not qualify for the playoffs for the second straight season.[80] The Warriors returned to the playoffs in 2021–22 and reached the 2022 NBA Finals. They defeated the Boston Celtics in six games, giving Kerr his fourth championship as a head coach and his ninth championship overall.
In the 2022–23 season, Kerr and the Warriors reached the Western Conference Semifinals, where they were defeated in six games by the Los Angeles Lakers.[81]
Kerr was an assistant coach on the gold medal-winning 2020 United States men's Olympic basketball team.[82] In December 2021, he was named head coach of the U.S. men's basketball team.[83] In 2023, Kerr led the United States team to a disappointing fourth place finish at the FIBA World Cup as the U.S. failed to win a medal for the second consecutive tournament after an overtime loss to Canada in the bronze medal game, 127–118.[84] Despite finishing fourth at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, it was the first U.S. men's basketball team to lose three games at the World Cup or Olympics since 2004.
At the 2024 Summer Olympic Men's Basketball Tournament, Kerr coached the US Team to its fifth consecutive gold medal at Paris' Bercy Arena in a win over host country France. This was a reprise of the win over the French Team at the Tokyo Olympics. [85]
Kerr is the first head coach in NBA history to lead his team to 67 or more wins in three consecutive seasons.[86] Kerr was named one of the Top 15 Coaches in NBA History in 2022, when the league commemorated its 75th anniversary.[87]
Kerr married Margot Brennan, his college sweetheart, in 1990. They have three children.[88] He is a keen soccer fan and an avid supporter of Liverpool.[89] In 2023, Kerr bought a minority stake in La Liga club Mallorca.[90]
Prior to and following the 2016 United States presidential election, Kerr has been publicly critical of Donald Trump. In an interview following that election, he voiced the opinion that Trump's rise to power was based on insults against women and minorities. He compared Trump's campaign performances and the crude responses of his supporters to the sensationalism of The Jerry Springer Show. Kerr made clear his "disgust" with Trump's disrespectful public discourse and disappointment with Trump's leadership of the country.[91] On October 27, 2020, an ad created by the anti-Trump Republican Lincoln Project Super PAC was first broadcast. In it, along with Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers, Kerr endorsed Joe Biden for President in the November presidential election.[92] In the advertisement, he said, "I stand for truth over lies", "categorically reject white supremacy", and "believe a presidency should be transparent."[92]
Kerr has been a strong supporter of gun control, expressing criticism with the government's response to school shootings.[93] On May 24, 2022, during a press conference for Game 4 of the NBA's 2022 Western Conference finals after that day's Robb Elementary School shooting in Texas where 19 children and two teachers were murdered by a gunman wielding semi-automatic weapons, Kerr reiterated these points emotionally. He said, regarding the filibuster, that Republicans in the U.S. Senate were "holding us hostage", by using it to prevent a vote on gun control legislation.[94][95][96]
Kerr has voiced support for the Black Lives Matter movements across the United States, praising the efforts of peaceful protests and hopes that more people will take action to stand up to systemic racial injustice to black people.[97]
Kerr spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention on August 19, 2024.[98]
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I remember looking at all the photos afterward," Kerr said. He started to cry. "I see all these, the nicest people, who I met and they were showing us around the base and just trying to do their jobs and keep the peace. And a truck bomb?
It's hard to imagine in this country that we have to produce papers," Kerr said. "It brings up images of Nazi Germany. We understand that the intentions of the law are not for that to happen, but you have to be very, very careful. . . . It's important that everyone in our state and nation understands this is an issue that needs to be explored. So, we're trying to expose it.
