Personal
On September 27, 1965, the greatest three point shooter in NBA history was born. Today,
the 6-3 guard is a world champion and is still “filling it up” for the Bulls.
Steve spends his off-court time with his wife Margot and his three children, Nicholas,
Madeleine, and Matthew. Kerr isn’t just another “dumb jock” either. He was
named to the PAC-10 All-Academic team in 1988, and is currently working on his
Master’s Degree in Sports Administration.
College
Steve attended the University of Arizona and finished his career fifth on the
Wildcats’ all-time scoring list (he has since been passed). He led Arizona in assists
twice and was a second team All-American his senior year. He also led the ‘Cats to
the Final Four in 1988.
1988-89
Coming out of college, the Phoenix Suns could not ignore Steve Kerr. Playing some 90 miles
south of Phoenix at the University of Arizona, Kerr set a Pacific-10 Conference record as
a senior by hitting 114 of 199 three-point attempts for a remarkable .575 percentage.
Phoenix took a change on the 6-foot-3 guard selecting him with the 50th overall pick in
the1988 NBA Draft. Unforunately though, Kerr spent most of his rookie season on the bench.
He appeared in only 26 games, averaging 2.1 points in 6.0 minutes per game. He hit 8 of 17
three-point attempts. His season came to an unfortunate early end, as Kerr developed
tendinitis in his left Achilles tendon and was placed on the injured list on March 13,
missing the final 22 games of the season.
1989-90
The Phoenix Suns traded Kerr to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason for a future
second-round draft pick. The Cavs were despirate for depth in their backcourt, and Kerr
fit the bill. He appeared in 78 games and averaged 6.7 points, but he his “claim to
fame” was leading the NBA in three-point shooting. He connected on 73 of 144 attempts
for a .507 percentage. It was the second-best single-season mark in NBA history behind Jon
Sundvold’s .522 in 1988–89. Kerr became the first Cavalier ever to lead the
league in a statistical category. He produced a string of 8 consecutive three-pointers
beginning on March 23, falling 3 shy of Scott Wedman’s NBA record of 11. His best
game was on January 6 against the Orlando Magic. He hit 5 of 6 three pointers in a
season-high 19-point effort.
1990-91
Despite finishing as the NBA’s best three-point shooter in 1989–90, Kerr fell
out of Cleveland’s rotation in 1990–91. The Cavs struggled without injured point
guard Mark Price, and Coach Lenny Wilkens elected to use Kerr in a more limited role. The
third-year guard appeared in only 57 games, averaging 4.8 points in 15.9 minutes per
contest. The limited playing time hampered his three-point shooting as he hit only 28 of
62 attempts for a .452 percentage. That was still tops on the team. Kerr had season highs
of 13 points and 8 assists against the Atlanta Hawks on December 17.
1991-92
Kerr continued to play a limited role in Cleveland, but he started 20 of the Cavs’
final 22 games as a replacement for injured Craig Ehlo. Kerr “lit it up” in the
last 16 games of the season, averaging 11.9 points while shooting .644 from the field and
.622 (23 of 37) from three-point range. The hot streak bumped his season field-goal
percentage from .392 to .511. Kerr scored 24 points in a season-high 36 minutes against
the Pacers at Indiana on April 17. He made 48 appearances for the year, averaging 6.6
points while hitting 32 of 74 three-point attempts (.432). Cleveland advanced to the
Eastern Conference Finals in 1992 before falling to the Chicago Bulls in six games. Kerr
played in 12 of 17 postseason contests, with a high of 9 points in Game 3 of a first-round
series against the New Jersey Nets.
1992-93
Kerr split the season between Cleveland and Orlando. He played only five games for the
Cavs before Cleveland shipped him to the Magic on December 2 for a second-round draft
choice. Kerr then logged 47 appearances with Orlando but played sparingly, averaging 2.6
points in only 9.4 minutes per game. He had season highs of 12 points against the Pistons
at Detroit on December 9 and 7 assists against the Utah Jazz on December 22.
1993-94
The Chicago Bulls signed the veteran Kerr to a free-agent contract on September 29. Kerr
went on to play in all 82 games for the Bulls, providing consistent shooting guard relief
for Pete Myers in the post–Michael Jordan era. In fact, Kerr ranked fourth in the
league in three-point shooting (.419). He averaged a career-high 8.6 points while shooting
.497 from the floor, and he scored in double figures 33 times. For his deft shooting touch
Kerr was selected to participate in the NBA Long Distance Shootout during the All-Star
Weekend in Minneapolis. Kerr appeared in all 10 postseason games for the Bulls, averaging
3.5 points in the two series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks. He
hit 6 of 16 three-point attempts (.375) during the playoffs.
1994-95
Kerr appeared in all 82 games for the Bulls, but did not start a game. Still, Kerr managed
to lead the league in three-point shooting percentage. He scored in double figures in 30
games and finished the season averaging just over 8 points per game. During the All-Star
break, Steve appeared in the NBA Long Distance Shootout and was eliminated in the first
round. The Bulls made it to the playoffs, but Steve’s playing time was decreased due
to the return of Michael Jordan. The Bulls lost to the Orlando Magic in the playoffs..
1995-96
Steve appeared in all 82 games for the Bulls, but for the second straight season did not
start a game. He finished second in the league in three point percentage. Once again, Kerr
was invited to the NBA Long Distance Shootout and finished third. Kerr finished the season
averaging 8.4 points per game. In the playoffs, Steve was a crutial part of the Bulls
championship run. In game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Steve scored 14 points,
grabbed four rebounds, dished out six assists, and swiped four steals. Unfortunately,
Steve struggled in the NBA Finals, but the Bulls were too powerful and won the NBA
Championship. Steve finished the 1995-96 season with the NBA’s best career three
point percentage (.480).
1996-97
The 1996-1997 season might have been Steve's "breakout"
season. Steve first made headlines by winning the AT&T Long Distance Shootout at the
AllStar Game. He then pumped in 20 points for the Bulls during a regular season game
against the Dallas Mavericks. Steve finished the regular season averaging 8.1 points per
game. He finished second in Three Point Percentage by hitting .464 percent. But the
crowning moment of his season came on his final shot of the year. With time winding down
in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Steve drained a shot from the free throw line to put the
Bulls up for good. The Bulls took the championship and Steve won his second straight NBA
Title.
1997-98
The 1997-98 Regular Season was one filled with unfortunate injuries for Steve. He
missed 10 games early in the season with a bone bruise early in his left knee. He
then fractured his left collarbone when Derrick Coleman fell on him during a game.
He appeared in only 50 games, averaging 7.5 ppg and almost 2 assists per game. While
the regular season was filled with injuries, his Post-Season was filled with glory
again. Steve's clutch rebound in Game 2 of the Finals was the turning point of the
Series against the Bulls. He missed a 3-point shot, but by following his own shot,
grabbed th Rebound and passed to Michael Jordan who made an easy lay-up. The Bulls
went on to win the title, and Steve picked up his third straight NBA Title.
1998-99
With the NBA Lockout claiming almost half of the NBA Season, Steve was forced to
wait to see which team he would be playing for in 1999. With Michael Jordan retired,
it was clear that a return to the Bulls was out of the question. Instead, Steve
signed with the SanAntonio Spurs and it proved to be a wise decision. The Spurs
cruised to the best record in the NBA in the regular season, and the #1 seed in the
playoffs. Steve struggled in the regular season however, shooting only 31.3 percent
from 3-point range, well below his career numbers. "It's a tough adjustment,
playing in a different offensive system," Kerr told the NY Times. Despite his
lack of offensive punch, Steve became the Spurs "experience" and teammates would
rush to him whenever they weren't sure how to handle a situation. Avery Johnson
noted, "It's really been a joy having him around this year with all his
experience." The Spurs cruised to the NBA title, disposing of the Knicks in
five games, giving Steve his 4th straight NBA Championship. This makes Steve only
the 2nd player in NBA History to win back to back titles with two different teams.
Special Thanks to NBA Properties, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, ESPNET Sportzone, and
NBA.com for the information. The photos are courtesy of NBA Photos, AP Photos, Microsoft,
and the University of Arizona.