One of the most successful people in basketball history spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday.
Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors and member of the legendary Chicago Bulls of the 90s, took the stage shortly after 8 p.m.
Here’s what you should know about him.
Steve Kerr supports Harris and stricter gun laws
For the 58-year-old Kerr, making political statements after post-game press conferences is nothing new.
In 2022, he made an impassioned plea for gun control after a gunman killed 19 children and two adults at a Texas school in Uvalde, Texas. He publicly criticized former President Donald Trump.
He endorsed President Joe Biden before he dropped out of the race. Kerr said he has a friendly relationship with Vice President Kamala Harris, a native of California, where Kerr has lived for 10 years.
In 2017, after the Warriors won an NBA title, the players decided not to visit Trump or the White House. Trump said the players were not invited.
Born and raised in the Middle East
Kerr was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to a Lebanese-American father who was an academic specializing in the Middle East. He grew up mostly in Lebanon and other countries, but attended Palisades Charter High School in Los Angeles, graduating in 1983.
Kerr was not heavily recruited after high school and played college basketball at the University of Arizona from 1983 to 1988. In the summer of 1986, he competed for the U.S. national team. During his studies, he established himself as a top-notch 3-point shooter.
Member of the 90s Bulls as a 3-point specialist
Kerr was selected in the second round of the 1988 draft by the Phoenix Suns. After his rookie season, he moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers and later to the Orlando Magic.
Everything changed in 1993 when Kerr signed with the Chicago Bulls, who had just won three consecutive titles. He played most of his first two seasons without Michael Jordan, as MJ had temporarily retired from basketball to try his hand at baseball.
Eventually, MJ sent out his famous “I’m back” message and Chicago returned to championship contention. As history goes, the Bulls won three more championships with Kerr playing a key role as a 3-point specialist. Kerr won the 3-point contest at All-Star weekend in 1997.
After their sixth championship, the Bulls management disbanded the team and coaching staff and MJ resigned again. Kerr was then acquired by the San Antonio Spurs in a sign-and-trade deal.
Kerr and the Spurs, who won the NBA Finals in 1999, remained part of basketball at its highest level. In 2001, Kerr was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers and about a year later, back to the Spurs. The Spurs won the NBA Finals in 2003 and gave Kerr five rings as a player. Shortly thereafter, Kerr announced his retirement.
Broadcaster and managing director briefly
After his playing career, Kerr went into broadcasting and lent his voice to commentators in video games.
He also held a small ownership role with the Phoenix Suns before becoming the team’s general manager in 2007. After three years, he left the Suns as president of basketball operations and returned to broadcasting.
Historical heritage with the Warriors
In 2014, Kerr became head coach of the Golden State Warriors. Over the last decade, the Warriors dominated the Western Conference for much of the season. Led by Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, they became a dynasty and won four championships (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022).
As part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, Kerr was named one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history.
Kerr continues to coach the Warriors, who recently parted ways with Thompson and have been unable to play elite basketball for the past two seasons.
Won gold as head coach of the US team
Kerr succeeded his old coach Gregg Popovich as head coach of the U.S. national team in 2021. He was an assistant on the gold medal-winning Olympic team in 2020 and led the U.S. to gold again at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris earlier this month.
NBA reporter Marc Stein reported on Sunday that Kerr may resign as head coach of the national team.
