Over the years, Steve Kerr has repeated how fortunate he has been to be associated with Michael Jordan and Steph Curry. Kerr won three championships with Jordan’s Bulls in the ‘90s, while he coached Curry and the Warriors to four titles. The former Chicago sharpshooter has always been grateful for what he has accomplished together with each of these basketball icons.
Kerr is in Chicago as the Warriors will face the Bulls on Friday. He was just in time for his former team’s “Ring of Honor” ceremony. Golden State’s coach joined several who have contributed to the Bulls’ successes over the years.
When asked by a reporter about what makes a franchise successful, the multi-titled coach answered (via Julia Pope):
“Really strong ownership is a key to any professional sports team’s success. And you obviously have to have not just a star player but [a] superstar person, player, human being. Michael Jordan was the guy for the Bulls [and] Steph Curry for the Warriors.
“You have to be lucky enough to have someone like those two to be kind of the frontman and the best player, the leader and all of that. I’ve been lucky to be part of two different teams with players like that.”
In Michael Jordan’s time with the Chicago Bulls, he was front and center of the team’s success. He is the biggest reason the franchise has six championship banners hanging in the rafters of United Center. “His Airness” went 6-0 in the NBA Finals and was named MVP in each of those years.
Steph Curry has the same influence and impact on the Golden State Warriors. Although Kevin Durant won Finals MVP in two of Curry’s four championships with the Dubs, he was the leader of that team.
Steve Kerr is even more appreciative of Curry’s leadership and impact this season with the way the Warriors have struggled. He has often mentioned that what the point guard brings to the Warriors is very similar to what Michael Jordan had with the Bulls.
Chasing Michael Jordan’s championship haul will be tough for Steph Curry
Steph Curry has said a couple of times in the last two years that he still has a couple of championships left in him. After the Warriors were eliminated by the LA Lakers in last year’s playoffs, Curry insisted that his team’s championship core can still win it all. Lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy twice will put him in a tie with Michael Jordan’s title haul.
Accomplishing that with the Warriors’ championship core may be even tougher than he thought. Golden State owns a 17-20 record, which puts them in 12th place in the Western Conference. If the regular season was to end today, they would not even make the play-in tournament.
Draymond Green has yet to return from suspension, while Klay Thompson has been having a roller-coaster season. After the New Orleans Pelicans demolished the Warriors 141-105 on Wednesday, Steph Curry called it “insanity” not to make changes. He is clearly asking Golden State’s front office for help before next month’s trade deadline.
Michael Jordan’s championship collection looks even more impressive with the way Curry and other stars are struggling to tie it. Steve Kerr’s superstar is 35 years old now, and the Warriors seem to be crumbling. It doesn’t look like he has much of a window left to close the gap on Jordan.
