If you were to ask a basketball fan who they thought some of the most winning players were in the past thirty years, what would their response be? Most would say Michael Jordan or Lebron, maybe even Curry if you look at his most recent success in the past few years. Others may point towards Tim Duncan and the Spurs dynasty, Kobe, Shaq, and Phil Jackson in L.A. But the true diamond in the rough is the Warrior’s head coach Steve Kerr. He has won an astonishing 33% of the last 27 championships.

Draymond just recently posted that Instagram post to his story with the caption, “Steve really a goat.” No one can really argue with that statement as Kerr has a combined nine rings, five as a player and four as a coach. He was on the Bulls and helped MJ win in 1996, 1997, and 1998, completing the three-peat as champs. Then the year after he would be traded to San Antonio where he would help Popovich and the Spurs win in 1999 and 2003.

One of the even more crazy stats about Kerr’s career is that he was picked 50th overall in 1988, only ten picks away from not being drafted. Yet he has managed to become one of the most winning players picked in the late second round. Transitioning from a player to a coach seemed to have been easy for Kerr as he has collected almost as many rings coaching as he did as a player.

But it wasn’t a seamless fit like most fans would come to believe. In 2003 once he retired, Kerr became a commentator for TNT and would do so until 2007. Then he switched gears and became the Phoenix Sun’s General Manager from that same year until 2010. Steve spent the next four years having some sort of share in the Suns while balancing broadcasting duties. It would be 2014 that he would then give coaching a try and joined the Golden State Warriors.

From there the rest is history as the Warriors would capture titles in 2015, 2017, 2018, and just recently in 2022. It is safe to say that everywhere he goes he wins and that he has been a key part in three all-time dynasties. Whether it be as a knockdown shooter or as a calm and levelheaded coach, his impact and winning mentality has been felt on the basketball court.

And to do so consistently as a player and a coach speaks a lot about who he is as a person. Around today’s league we see many players try to team up and win or head coaches that get hired with heavy potential and fired after only a few years. Steve has transcended that narrative and has been steady throughout the years, especially as the Dub’s coach when many fans were riled up during the past few down years. All in all, Steve Kerr’s career has become somewhat underrated, and we should give him his flowers while he is still in the NBA. Not many people can say they have won one championship, but Steve Kerr can say he has won nine and is very capable of coaching his way a tenth one.

(Photo credit: Garrett Ellwood / Getty Images)