Steve KerrHead Coach, Golden State Warriors

'I would've been fired' - Steve Kerr on choosing the Warriors over Phil Jackson and the Knicks

4 Apr 2023 · 1 min

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In this interview segment, Steve Kerr reflects on a pivotal career decision when he was choosing his next coaching role. He explains that staying aligned with Phil Jackson and the Knicks could have led to his dismissal within two years, as the situation lacked the necessary talent. Influential friends urged him to pursue opportunities where elite players were present, specifically pointing to the Golden State Warriors' roster of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. Kerr acknowledges that this talent-driven move was a major inflection point in his career, steering him toward the Warriors and away from the Knicks.

Chapters

I remember when you were trying to figure out where to coach, and I called you after we lost, and I said, hey, I'd like to talk to you. And you said, I'm— you didn't say it this way, but kind of like, there's no point, I'm down the line. You said, I'm aligned with Phil. And then it didn't work out for some reasons, and then you interviewed with us. Do you ever think back on what a life, you know, that you get that job? For you, you kind of had this point in life. Yeah. It's a pretty big inflection point. Yeah.
I honestly, I would have been fired within 2 years because that's— that was the pattern. And everything was about the talent. I mean, the reason I ended up here is because several people who are very close to me called me up and just said, you have to go where the talent is. And one good friend of mine said, I know you love Phil, and you should for everything he did for you, but what would he do? And I was like, oh yeah, he'd go coach Steph Curry and Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, right?