Steve Kerr HC is a great commander who has led the team to 4 championships and won 5 championships as a player. The interview that started with his thoughts around building a team reveals a philosophy rooted on the power of basketball and sports.

——From your perspective, which players would you introduce as a starting point to people who just started watching the NBA?

There are so many great players in the NBA. But if you’re just starting to watch basketball, I’m a bit biased, but Stephen Curry is just a beautiful athlete to watch. I think there’s a reason so many people love watching him play. He plays with a grace of a ballet dancer. He’s just an amazing athlete, but also has a lot of joy and skills.

Also, Nikola Jokić of Denver Nuggets. Currently he’s the best player on the planet. And one of the reasons for this is that he is such a great passer, and to me passing is one of the most entertaining parts of the game. I love seeing a good pass.

There’s also Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James. These guys are all incredibly talented. The (Boston) Celtics have the best team in the league. They just won the championship.

——As a Head Coach, what do you think are requirements to becoming a professional basketball player?

We generally look for a certain kind of person. When we’re recruiting players to the Golden State Warriors, we want players who other players want to play with. Someone with good energy and joy and who loves the game. Obviously, you have to have great talent to play in the NBA. So, we’re always looking for talent and players who would fit together well with other players.

When you get a group of players together who love to compete, who know how to play and understand the game, well, it gives you a chance to win. We look for players with those attributes.

——Basketball is a global sport bringing players from all around the world. Is it hard to build chemistry in such diverse group of players?

The beauty of basketball, to me, is that the chemistry happens pretty naturally. It’s definitely my job as a coach to try to connect the team and make sure that the chemistry is forming. But the game itself is a beautiful game. Once the ball moves, players are making plays for each other. You play together as a team and that is the only way to really win. I find that the game brings people together and it’s my job as a coach to give them a vision for how they need to play in order to win and help them through the difficult times that are inevitable.

——You mentioned Stephen Curry earlier, and children all over the world look up to him. And you have watched him continuously as his head coach. Do you have any advice you would give to all these children?

What I tell people about Steph is that he is an even better human being than he is a basketball player. He’s incredibly humble and very caring. He genuinely loves people and wants to use his fame and popularity for good and to put it to good use. And it comes from his heart. This makes him a great role model for kids. Because he is not only a great athlete but he’s the kind of person that we all want our children to grow up to be.

——Do you think that sports in general, not just basketball, have the power to change the world?

I think that sports bring people together. It connects people. We have players from different backgrounds, different countries, different cultures. The game is always connecting people. The original purpose of the Olympic Games was to bring people together from different countries and to foster international goodwill. And I think during a time in the world, and in our country, where people are very divided, sports can be a great vehicle for bringing people together and finding common ground.

It is very important for athletes and people in positions of notoriety, like me or other coaches should remember to not just try to win the game but to understand the power of sports and how it can connect people.

——Rakuten has been involved in several initiatives together with the Golden State Warriors. What is some impression you have of Rakuten as a company?

Rakuten has been a great partner with the Golden State Warriors. We had a great trip to Tokyo 2 years ago, where I was able to join some of the employees. They are a great company, and we share a lot of the same values in terms of teamwork and also competing in the marketplace with a sense of unity and joy.

——How was your trip to Japan? Especially with a busy schedule.

It was wonderful. Everybody always looks forward to playing overseas. But these trips come during training camp, and it is not easy to prepare the team over a couple of weeks of camp if you’re flying, have the jetlag and need days for the travel. But it’s always worth it. It’s always a lot of fun.

I could live in Japan. My wife and I just fell in love with the country, the culture, and the beauty. Its’ a wonderful place to visit and we want to go back. So, we will be back someday for sure.

Exclusive interview article also available on NBA Rakuten!
We asked Warriors head coach Steve Kerr about the team’s strategies and behind-the-scenes actions during the 2023-24 season.
*Article available in Japanese only

What is NBA Rakuten?
NBA Rakuten is a streaming service for NBA games for the Japanese fans. All regular season games, NBA Cup, NBA All-Star, Play-In Tournament, Playoffs, and NBA Finals are streamed live and on-demand (VOD). Additionally, it provides the latest news, free videos, standings, and stats.

Japanese Text: Reo Onishi
Japanese Edit: Yohsuke Watanabe(IN FOCUS)