Before Steve Kerr roamed the sidelines in the Bay Area, the Golden State Warriors head coach played guard alongside Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls.
After playing for Phoenix, Cleveland and Orlando, Kerr found a home with Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson in Chicago. The former Arizona Wildcat played a significant role in Jordan’s second championship 3-peat with the Bulls.
In five seasons, Kerr averaged 8.2 points on 50.7% shooting from the field, with 47.9% from beyond the arc. The decorated NBA champion added 2.2 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 23.2 minutes per game during his stint with the Bulls.
Throughout the airing of “The Last Dance,” Kerr’s been a featured character in the 10-part documentary. Kerr’s game-winning shot in game six of the 1997 NBA Finals, along with his infamous fight with Jordan in practice have been chronicled in the 30 For 30 series.
With the Jordan era film coming to an end, Warriors Wire looked back into Bulls’ history to highlight Kerr’s best regular-season performances with Chicago.
January 30, 1996 — Bulls at Rockets
Against the 1995 defending champions, Kerr chipped in 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field with four makes from long distance in 27 minutes. Kerr added two steals, an assist and a block to the boxscore versus Houston.
Hakeem Olajuwon paced the Rockets with 31 points, nine rebounds and two assists. However, Pippen’s 28 points on 10-of-23 shooting with 12 rebounds and five assists was enough for Chicago. The Bulls picked off the Rockets, 98-87.
March 25, 1997 — Bulls vs. Mavericks
With the Dallas Mavericks in town, Kerr matched Jordan with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting with 4-of-5 coming from 3-point range in 30 minutes. The future Golden State coach added a pair of boards and steals.
Jordan tacked on three steals and three assists for the Bulls. Michael Finley stamped 28 points for Dallas with Shawn Bradley adding 13 boards.
Despite big numbers from a pair of Mavericks, Kerr and Jordan’s combined 40 points were just enough to edge out Dallas, 94-92.
February 18, 1997 — Nuggets vs. Bulls
In 1997, Pippen registered his career-high in scoring against the Denver Nuggets with 47 points on 19-of-27 shooting. The Central Arkansas product added to his career-night with five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Dale Ellis led the Nuggets off the bench with 27 points on 9-of-11 shooting with four 3-pointers. Antonio McDyess added 25 points and seven rebounds.
While Pippen made headlines, Kerr added to the Bulls 134-123 victory with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. Kerr was perfect from deep, swishing 4-of-4 3-pointers in 24 minutes off the bench.
January 14, 1994 — Jazz vs. Bulls
While Jordan was pursuing a baseball career with the Chicago White Sox, Pippen led a combined effort for the Bulls. The future Hall of Famer recorded 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 11 rebounds with Utah in the United Center. Horace Grant filled the box score with a monster double-double of 18 points and 14 boards.
Against the Jazz, Kerr scored 20 points for the first time as a member of the Bulls. In 30 minutes off the bench, Kerr went 8-of-11 from the field with a pair of triples.
Karl Malone scored a game-high 26 points with 10 rebounds while John Stockton dished out 16 assists. However, it wasn’t enough for the Bulls. Chicago sprinted to a 107-91 victory in a future NBA Finals preview.
November 8, 1997 — Nets vs. Bulls
During “The Last Dance” season, Kerr recorded his career-high in scoring with the Bulls against the New Jersey Nets. The 1997 Three-Point Contest champion scored 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting with four 3-pointers.
Kerr turned in one of his best all-around games with Chicago, racking up six rebounds, five assists and a steal. For the Nets, Sam Cassell totaled 19 points and seven assists.
Behind Kerr, Toni Kukoc added 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the Bulls 99-86 victory. Jordan scored 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting in 33 minutes.
