When you think of NBA dynasties, you think of the stars-Bird and Magic, Jordan and Pippen, Shaq and Kobe. The game has always revolved around its brightest lights.
But every dynasty also has its glue guys, the ones who may not be headliners but always seem to be in the right place at the right time, doing the right things. Steve Kerr is one of those guys.
And at this point, he’s not just part of NBA history-he’s woven into the very fabric of what we call a dynasty.
Kerr’s résumé is staggering. Five rings as a player.
Four more as a head coach. Two Olympic gold medals with Team USA-one as an assistant under Gregg Popovich, another as head coach.
He’s been around greatness so often it’s almost easy to overlook just how rare that is. But Kerr doesn’t take it for granted.
In a recent interview, he pulled back the curtain on what it’s really like to live through the life cycle of a dynasty-from the peak to the slow, inevitable decline.
Asked what it feels like to be in a dynasty, Kerr didn’t hesitate. “Each case was a little different,” he said.
With the Bulls, for example, it was obvious. “They had won three in a row, so I knew I was joining a dynasty.
And when it ended, everyone knew it ended.” Then, with a deadpan delivery only Kerr could pull off, he added, “I don’t know if you know this-they did a documentary called *The Last Dance.
*”
His time with the Spurs was a different story. “I don’t know that I even knew I was part of a dynasty while I was there,” he said.
Kerr won titles with San Antonio in 1999 and 2003, then retired. After that, the Spurs kept rolling, winning three more championships over the next 11 years.
It wasn’t the kind of short-burst dominance we saw from the Bulls; it was a slow burn, a sustained excellence that stretched across generations of players.
Then came Golden State.
Kerr took over the Warriors in 2014, and what followed was nothing short of historic. Five straight Finals appearances.
Three championships. A style of play that changed the way basketball is played.
And then, after a two-year dip that saw them miss the playoffs, they climbed the mountain again in 2022. That title, Kerr said, “sort of snuck up on us.”
“We didn’t really know,” he admitted. “But once it did, we knew we were in the middle of it, and that was pretty cool.”
If anyone understands the anatomy of a dynasty, it’s Kerr. He’s seen the beginning, middle, and end-more than once. And right now, he’s honest about where the Warriors stand in that arc.
“Well, it is closing, as we speak,” Kerr said when asked what it would take for the Warriors’ dynasty to officially end. “We just don’t know exactly when it’s gonna end, and what we’re hanging onto is the idea that we still have something left in the tank.
And if all the pieces fall into place, we think we have a shot. So we’re trying to get one more.”
That’s the heart of it. The Warriors aren’t what they were five years ago.
They’re currently sitting at 14-15, clinging to the eighth spot in the Western Conference. They look older.
Slower. And in a league where young teams like the Thunder are surging, it’s fair to wonder if another deep playoff run is even realistic.
But Kerr isn’t just chasing wins. He’s chasing something more intangible-the value of the pursuit itself.
“I think it’s the attempt when you’re in it that’s the most important thing,” he said. “Obviously, in rings culture, we all focus on who won, but there is something beautiful in the fight, in the quest.”
That’s classic Kerr-philosophical, grounded, and deeply connected to the human side of the game. He knows the odds.
He knows the window is closing. But he also knows what it means to give everything you’ve got, even if the ending isn’t scripted in gold.
“Because we love it so much, because we love what we do, there really is a beauty in the journey,” he said. “To hang in there, and maybe reach the top of the mountain one more time. But if we don’t-and chances are we won’t, we’re not a favorite to do it-but if we don’t, and we still gave it the effort and had this experience together, that’s worth a lot.”
That’s the voice of someone who’s seen it all and still finds joy in the grind. Whether the Warriors have one more run in them or not, Kerr understands the legacy isn’t just about trophies. It’s about the bond, the belief, and the battle.
And if this really is the final chapter of the Warriors’ dynasty, they’ve got the right author to help write the ending.