Gregg Popovich Says It Was 'Easy to See' Steve Kerr Would Become Coach

OAKLAND—Steve Kerr was hired as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors on May 15 of this year, not even two weeks after the Warriors were defeated by the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs. 

While the sports world at large didn't learn of Kerr's new career until that day, one wise man saw it coming 16 years in advance. That sage soothsayer: His coach at the time, the now legendary Gregg Popovich. 

Kerr joined the San Antonio Spurs for the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, winning his fourth straight NBA championship after three consecutive rings with the Chicago Bulls from 1996 until 1998.

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"Steve was a no-brainer," Popovich said before the Spurs' Nov. 11 matchup with the Warriors. "There are certain guys on your team that you know have an intuitive feel for the game. They’re also natural leaders and good people. They communicate well, have great work ethics and high intelligence. He had all that stuff. It was pretty easy to see."

Kerr is just one of many Popovich disciples running the NBA sidelines this season. Coaches Monty Williams (Pelicans), Jacque Vaughn (Magic), Brett Brown (Sixers), Mike Budenholzer (Hawks) and Mike Brown (Clippers assistant) all coached or played under Popovich since he took the reins in San Antonio in 1996. So occasions like Tuesday's game are increasingly common for the grizzled coach. 

“It’s a lot of fun [seeing those guys] but it wears me out watching all their games and hoping they win," Popovich said. "It’s great to see them all. It seems like wherever we go, Spurs are hanging around.”

In the years since Kerr abdicated the GM throne in Phoenix, Popovich has been shepherding his impending turn with the clipboard, including inviting Kerr to the Spurs' annual coaching retreat in Chicago, where the new Warriors Coach watched "a couple days' worth of film," according to the San Jose Mercury News' Tim Kawakami.

“We always try to invite somebody who can contribute new ideas and that sort of thing," Popovich said Tuesday. "We were glad that he came.”

The Warriors' hot start and continued success under a rookie coach have come as no surprise to Popovich, given Kerr's personality and people skills.

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“Steve loves life and gets along with everybody," he said. "He’s inclusive and participatory. He’s comfortable in his own skin. He’ll be himself. You’ll see him laugh at times. He can laugh at himself. He’s got that self-deprecating characteristic that’s really attractive. I think he’s a special guy.”

But one early-season Golden State stat did jump out at Popovich—the Warriors' top-ranked defensive rating, which sat at 91.4 through six games, according to nba.com.

"He couldn’t play a lick of D, so it’s surprising that he’s working them so hard on the defensive end. He has no clue,” Pop said with a smile.

Exactly 2,380 games of regular-season coaching experience separate Popovich and Kerr, but they have one thing in common: Five rings on their mantles. Which coach gets No. 6 first is anyone's guess, but Popovich certainly deserves his dose of credit should Kerr eventually add to his jewelry collection.