The Warriors-Clippers preseason matchup turned into a trip down memory lane for Steve Kerr. He won titles with Michael Jordan and the San Antonio Spurs. Then he built a dynasty of his own with Golden State. Then the conversation shifted to one story that still gets a reaction.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The Hall of Famer has done a little bit of everything in basketball. He grew up around UCLA. He watched John Wooden’s teams. But there are also infamous moments of his playing career when Michael Jordan punched him during a Chicago Bulls practice.
“I can make the argument that Steve Kerr, and I mean this sincerely, is the most interesting person in NBA history,” one commentator said during the live broadcast in Hawaii. “This is a guy, or maybe even basketball, this is a guy that grew up in Westwood, went to UCLA games, coached by John Wooden, of course won championships with Michael Jordan and with the San Antonio Spurs, and now with Golden State he has played with the best, played against the best, coached the best in different eras, and on top of it, he’s just, it’s really great for the league that Steve Kerr is here, his world view, his ability to talk about all things that go on in the, on the globe, not just basketball, he is awesome for the NBA and I’m glad he’s back.”
Another commentator followed with a much shorter reminder.
“Even got punched by Michael Jordan and lived to tell about it and then knocked down a game winner in the finals.”
The broadcasters have not been identified in the official information available for this particular game. Still, the story they referenced is well-documented. It goes back to the Bulls’ training camp in 1995.
Michael Jordan had returned to the NBA after his baseball stint. The Bulls were coming off a playoff loss to the Orlando Magic. Jordan was not taking it easy on anyone. Phil Jackson put Kerr on him during a scrimmage. And it did not take long for things to get heated.
The physical play increased. Jordan also became frustrated with the fouls being called. He felt Jackson was protecting Kerr with soft calls. Then things crossed the line. MJ punched Kerr in the eye and was left with a black eye. Jackson immediately sent Jordan out of practice.
Michael Jordan later remembered the incident himself.
“I just haul off and hit him right in the f—— eye,” Jordan said. “And Phil throws me out of practice.”
MJ regretted the fight. He called Kerr later and apologized. The two eventually talked through what happened. Kerr came away with a different view of the incident. He believed Michael Jordan had been testing him.
“He was tough on everybody,” Kerr said years later. “But that was kind of his philosophy, that if you weren’t tough enough to handle a practice situation with Michael maybe coming after you verbally or attacking you with the ball one-on-one, if you weren’t tough enough to deal with that, he said there’s no way you were going to be able to handle a playoff game.” He concluded his message with “So I passed the test. I got a black eye for it, but I passed.”
That changed their relationship. Steve Kerr had shown he would not back down, and Michael Jordan respected that. The two moved forward and became teammates the Bulls could rely on during their championship run.
Kerr was never expected to carry Chicago. His role was much simpler. Space the floor. Make shots. Defend when needed. Be ready when MJ finds him. Which was important for their championship pursuit.
The Bulls faced the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals. Game 6 came down to the final minutes. Chicago needed a basket to take control. Michael Jordan had the ball, and the defense collapsed toward him. Kerr was wide open and would hit the jumper after MJ passed the ball.
Chicago won the championship. The moment carried an extra layer because of everything that had happened between the two players. Steve Kerr had once been on the receiving end of Jordan’s fist. Now, Michael Jordan was trusting him with the biggest shot of the season.