Steve Kerr

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Kerr played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats. He was a two-time first-team all-conference player in the Pac-10 and earned All-American honors as a senior in 1988. In the 1987–88 season, Kerr set the NCAA single-season three-point field goal percentage record (57.3%). Selected by the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the 1988 NBA draft, Kerr played 15 seasons in the NBA. He won five NBA championships as a player—three with the Chicago Bulls and two with the San Antonio Spurs.

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Kerr's Bulls career arrived in the final minute of Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals against Utah. With the series tied and the clock winding down, Kerr missed a three-pointer but grabbed his own rebound to keep the possession alive. He then made a crucial pass to Michael Jordan, who hit a three-point play that put the Bulls in the lead for good, helping tie the series at one game apiece before Chicago eventually won the title in six games. This sequence highlighted Kerr's value beyond just shooting: his ability to stay composed and make the right play under extreme pressure was instrumental in the team's success.

Reader's Guide

Kerr signed with the Chicago Bulls in 1993 and played five seasons with the team. He won three championships with the Bulls (1996, 1997, 1998). In Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Kerr made a 17-foot jump shot to win the championship for the Bulls. In Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, Kerr missed a three-pointer, grabbed his own rebound, and passed to Michael Jordan, who made a crucial three-point play. Kerr set the Bulls' franchise single-season (.524, 1994–95) and career three-point field goal percentage (.479) records. After leaving the Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal in January 1999, Kerr won two more championships with the San Antonio Spurs (1999, 2003).

Did You Know?

• Kerr was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and his father was killed by members of Islamic Jihad in 1984.
• Kerr set an NCAA single-season record for three-point percentage (57.3%) in 1987–88.
• Kerr won the Three-Point Contest at the 1997 NBA All-Star Weekend.
• Kerr and Frank Saul were the only two players in NBA history to have won three championships with two different teams in consecutive seasons, until Patrick McCaw achieved the same feat in 2019.