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Steve Kerr pays tribute to his mentors, Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson

For the first time since his arrival at the Warriors in 2014, Steve Kerr will therefore not participate in the Finals, and even less in the playoffs. The Golden State franchise has therefore been on vacation since March 11 and will not resume competition until next December.

This long parenthesis of nine months is perfect for thinking about the direction to give to the Warriors for the years to come, after a catastrophic year (15 victories for 50 defeats).

“I spoke with Bob Myers (le GM), our staff and many other people to talk about building a plan ”, explains the coach to The Athletic. “But without time in front of you, it’s so hard. There, we have players who come to the training room, to work individually and talk with the coaches. With Mike Dunleavy and Mike Brown, we use this time to think together and determine what we can do best. We haven’t had much time in the past five or six years. All the seasons were as if they were stuck together. There, we have time to step back and analyze our program. “

“Finding the right culture to put in place for a group of players, and not only so that they are as efficient as possible, but also so that they enjoy the whole process”

To help him in this process, Steve Kerr has two prestigious references: Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson. His two former coaches in Chicago and San Antonio.

“These two had a profound impact on me, not only on my coaching, but also on my life. I learned so much from them. I am more in contact with Popovich, because he always coaches and I see him from time to time. Popovich and Jackson were exciting people, far beyond basketball. This is what they shared with all the players: putting basketball into perspective and understanding how important it is, but also, at the same time, not very important. ”

The two coaches, 16 titles together (11 for Phil Jackson, 5 for Gregg Popovich), have always imposed their methods and tactics. And with them, almost every season, their teams won a lot of matches and aimed for the title. The winning culture was omnipresent.

“I learned from both, even if they are different, the importance of creating an authentic and interesting culture. She has to look like us. When we played for them, we were part of a journey, of a quest as a team. It was unique. We were impatient to go to the gym every day. We loved every step, from meals with the team to communication, because there was a real culture with them. This is the key: finding the right culture to set up for a group of players, and not only so that they perform as well as possible, but also so that they enjoy the whole process. This is what I look for every season. ”

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