Golden State Warriors head coach and former Chicago Bulls guard Steve Kerr does not need to watch “The Last Dance” to understand what it was like to be Michael Jordan's teammate. He lived it.
Kerr spoke about Jordan's competitive drive and demanding nature ahead of ESPN's 10-part documentary, which is set to premier on Sunday night at 9 p.m. EST (via Mark Medina of USA TODAY):
“There was a pressure that came with it when you were his teammate I had never felt from anybody,” Kerr said. “It was a great test. You had to step up and compete and perform every day.”
Kerr also called Jordan a “genius” because of his desire to push his teammates and elevate them to new heights (via Medina):
“I always felt it was part of Michael’s genius with raising that bar, the level of competition and performance for our team every day just because of who he was,” Kerr said. “Nobody wanted to be left behind. He constantly pushed everybody forward.”
Jordan's ruthless persona did help push the Bulls to six championships in eight years during the 1990s, though the winning and the grind certainly took a toll. In fact, Kerr and Jordan got into a fistfight during training camp.
Still, Jordan understood the need to prepare his teammates for the biggest occasions. When the time came, they needed to step up when called upon.
For Kerr, that happened during Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals.
The Bulls and Utah Jazz were tied at 86 apiece when Jordan drew a double-team and promptly kicked the ball to Kerr, who drilled the go-ahead jumper with just five seconds to play. Chicago held on for their fifth championship, and that moment is one of many which validated Jordan's mentality in terms of practice and pushing his teammates.
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