Steve Kerr drew attention with his emotional speech against gun violence. The coach suffered a tragic loss early on.
When Steve Kerr banged on the table two weeks ago, expressing his frustration and sadness at the recent shootings and lax US gun laws, it came from the bottom of his heart.
The basketball coach Golden State Warriorsthat in the NBA Finals currently against the Boston Celtics Playing for the fourth championship of Kerr’s tenure has been a passionate advocate for stricter gun control for years – not least because his father was once killed in an assassination attempt. Kerr was just 18 years old and going to college.
Warriors trainer positions himself very clearly
“When are we going to do something?”yelled Kerr at the press conference ahead of a playoff game against the Dallas Mavericksin which he got up and left at the end of his emotional speech. “I’m fed up, I’ve had enough!” The reason was the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old shot 19 children and two adults.
Before and after the second game in the Finals against the Celtics, Kerr then gave his interviews dressed in an orange T-shirt that read “END GUN VIOLENCE” – “End gun violence”. It is time “that people are taking notice and getting involved in what should be a nationwide effort to curb gun violence out there. And there are ways to limit that.”
Professional athletes and teams from other US leagues have also recently commented on the subject – but few can do so as well-founded as the 56-year-old Kerr, who can spontaneously refer to interest groups and draft laws. “What he said is extremely authentic”said Warriors manager Bob Myers “The Athletic” now on the edge of the finals to Kerr’s speech, which received a lot of attention worldwide. “It was absolutely authentic and real. People saw that and they saw someone who really cares about this country and the laws in it and wants to see a change.”
Kerr is loved by fans and athletes
When Kerr speaks, people listen – fans and highly paid NBA stars like Stephen Curry alike. The father of three is intelligent, has a high level of knowledge of human nature and, after 15 years as a player in the NBA and in his eighth year as a coach, has an enormous wealth of experience.
As a professional, he was part of that Chicago Bulls around Michael Jordan, who were the measure of all things in the 1990s and twice won three titles in a row. Kerr has been on the field in more than 900 games as a professional. According to the “Los Angeles Times” Although only 30 times from the start, he still won five championships as an important role player. In 1997 he hit the decisive throw for the Bulls’ triumph. In addition, there are the three titles as coach of the Warriors.
For a long time he was the assistant coach of the US national team at the Olympic Games and there in the unusual role of not the boss, but the assistant for his sponsor Gregg Popovich. To see how other top coaches in the NBA – in addition to the long-time head coach, the coaching staff included San Antonio Spurs including Erik Spoelstra from the Miami Heat – Dealing with the star-studded roster helped him immensely, Kerr often said. At the upcoming games in Paris 2024, he himself will be the head coach of the national team.
Experiences and experiences shape Kerr
Because his parents were teachers in Lebanon at the time, Kerr was born in Beirut and spent the early years of his life in that region of the world so different from California, where he eventually went to high school went. The experiences broadened his horizon early on and established his understanding for people of different backgrounds and beliefs.
In addition to his sophistication and intellect, people who interact with Kerr appreciate his sense of humor. “My parents (…) taught me to understand people, to be understanding and respectful. They taught me that people can speak differently and dress differently or have habits that are foreign to me. And that it what was important was not only to understand all these differences, but to accept them”he once said years ago.
And then said: “That was very useful when, years later, Dennis Rodman became my teammate with the Chicago Bulls.” Rodman with his temper, his tattoos, his hairstyles and his unconventional manner is one of the most flamboyant players in NBA history. Kerr seemed inconspicuous and well-behaved next to it, he had already gained a lot of respect back then.