Steve Kerr played with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Chicago Bulls for five seasons, winning three titles there, before moving to the San Antonio Spurs, where he won a couple more with Tim Duncan and head coach Gregg Popovich.
After transitioning to becoming a head coach, Kerr coached the Golden State Warriors, led by the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry, to a historic 73-9 record in 2016.
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Following Golden State’s second-round exit in this year’s NBA Playoffs, Kerr reflected on past triumphs during a conversation with former NBA forward Tom Tolbert. He drew parallels between the Bulls’ historic 1996 season and the Warriors’ record-breaking run in 2016, highlighting the unique similarities that defined both championship teams.
Incredible confidence
Tolbert asked Kerr on the “Tom Tolbert Show” about the similarities between the 72-10 Bulls and the 2016 Warriors, a team that shattered their record with their 73-9 campaign. Right off the bat, Steve said the confidence the two teams had was unmatched.
For one, Chicago had Jordan whose reputation as the most intense competitor the sport has ever seen is undisputed. Knowing the wrath they’d face from the league’s best player if they failed to hold their end of the bargain was enough to keep the Bulls on their toes and push them to be better.
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In addition, Mike was on a revenge tour. After the Orlando Magic ousted the Bulls in the East semis the season before, Jordan was keen on proving he was still the biggest dog in the yard. He successfully did that, averaging 30.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game and being named the league’s MVP. The Bulls superstar also earned All-Star, All-Defensive and All-NBA Team berths.
“Just the the confidence, the swagger — I mean, both teams just felt like there’s no way we’re losing. And when you did lose, it was a shock,” Kerr noted.
Ultra-competitive superstars
While Curry exudes joy on and off the court, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to take his opponents’ heads off. Steve said the superstar guard and his longtime running mate, Draymond Green, are exceptional competitors who would rather lose a limb than suffer a loss.
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“Both teams were so competitive. You know, Draymond and Steph and just the competitive nature of our guys, just like, you know, Michael and Scottie,” the Warriors head coach revealed.
“It’s like, you lose one, it’s like, ‘Fu*k that, we’re going to win 10 in a row.’ And then you win 10 in a row, and you repeat that cycle for five, six months, and it’s like — that’s the recipe for a 70-win season,” Steve added.
The 1996 Bulls were driven by a desire for redemption, dominating the league with an 18-game winning streak and losing back-to-back games just once during the regular season. Similarly, the Warriors opened their 2015-16 campaign with an unprecedented 24-game winning streak and ended the season with an average winning margin exceeding 10 points per game.
The biggest difference between the two, though, was the Bulls got the job done and won the title with a 4-2 series win over the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals. On the other hand, the Warriors suffered a 4-3 loss to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 finals despite being up 3-1 in the series.