Steve Kerr spent the 2022-2023 NBA season dropping Taylor Swift lyrics so casually that most people barely noticed. But once ESPN’s Wright Thompson connected the dots, it turned into a hilarious hidden storyline. From press conferences to sideline moments, the Golden State Warriors coach kept sneaking in lines from “All Too Well” like a true Swiftie.

“Three years ago, to entertain himself in his press conferences, Steve worked phrases from Swift’s song ‘All Too Well’ into his interview answers, smoothly enough that nobody noticed,” Thompson wrote. “For instance, to get the first line of the song, he took the podium after beating the Rockets in March of 2023 and said, ‘I walked through the door of the locker room at halftime.'”

That’s not all. Wright Thompson continued the story. “Over a long season he got most of the lyrics done, crossing them off as he went,” the ESPN writer added. “His son Matthew later edited them into a video for their family group chat, so that Kerr appeared to have recited the whole song.” Well, the end-of-the-season clip reached Taylor Swift. “She ended up seeing it through a mutual friend,” Kerr’s son told.

At first, the Love Story artist didn’t believe her eyes. Taylor Swift found it creative and funny. She asked, “Wait, is this real?” Swift wanted to put the clip on her social media, “Can I put it on social media?” she asked. However, Kerr told his staff to keep it quiet, despite doing it in plain sight for months. He feels open and approachable. Yet somehow, Steve Kerr still remains hard to fully figure out.

Now, one confusing thing here is, how did Coach Kerr incorporate, “After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own,” into a press conference? At the same time, there is also a 10-minute version of the track. It keeps the same emotion and sound but dives much deeper into the story. Taylor Swift’s longtime fans have turned the song into a beloved hidden gem. Even if it never became her biggest mainstream hit.

Sure, the Taylor Swift story made Steve Kerr look lighthearted on the surface. Yet, the reality of the present was that things were far heavier. For the Golden State Warriors, the 2025-26 season fell apart, with a 37-45 record and an early postseason exit. The roster looked worn down. Retirement was no longer just a thought for Kerr. Then came an unexpected moment inside a Beverly Hills hotel, when he suddenly crossed paths with Michael Jordan.

Steve Kerr’s emotional interaction with Michael Jordan

Steve Kerr carries the image of basketball’s most outspoken coach. One day, he talks about the Golden State Warriors. Next, he weighs in on politics, the Middle East, and even President Donald Trump. Yet the most fascinating parts of Kerr stay hidden beneath the surface. In a surreal moment, Kerr turned a corner inside a Beverly Hills hotel. He nearly crashed into Michael Jordan and instantly shared a warm exchange with his former Chicago Bulls teammate from the last dance era.

“Thank you,” the 60-year-old said. “Everything that has happened in my career is because of playing with you.” However, MJ told him, “You’ve earned it. You’ve earned all of it.”

The hallway conversation lasted mere seconds, yet it quietly shook something deep inside Steve Kerr. For years, Kerr kept brushing aside his own brilliance. He tied his success to giants like Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Gregg Popovich, and Stephen Curry, while rarely placing himself beside them. That mindset followed him through nearly every chapter of his basketball journey.

However, Jordan clearly saw things differently. Kerr’s résumé already carries 5 NBA titles as a player and 4 more with the Golden State Warriors as head coach. Therefore, to Jordan, Kerr had evolved far beyond the sharpshooter behind the iconic 1997 Finals dagger.

Well, Steve Kerr spent years hiding behind jokes, Taylor Swift lyrics, and the greatness around him. Yet one brief meeting with Michael Jordan forced everything into focus. Beneath the calm voice and playful press conferences stood a coach carrying doubt, pressure, and legacy all at once. Meanwhile, Jordan saw the truth immediately. Steve Kerr had already become one of basketball’s defining minds.