RCD Mallorca shareholder Steve Kerr visited the Ciutat Esportiva Antonio Asensio and the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix and spoke with club media. Find out what he had to say having just won Olympic goal coaching the US basketball team.
It is unusual to see sportsmen and women speaking up on matters - is this someting you enjoy?
I just think it is important to use my platform that I have as coach of the Warriors as a lot of people know who I am. We have issues in our country that I think need to be addressed, especially gun violence prevention. I think it is my duty as a citizen – as an American citizen – to speak up.
What is the key to being a good coach?
I think the key to being coach is to find a balance between being very caring, concerned about your players and being compassionate to them, but also being the boss and them knowing you are in charge. It is a difficult balance at times but when you get to know the players well and you build a relationship with them, they appreciate that style.
In your career as a coach, you always giving interesting talks and speak on matters beyond sport...
Well I didn’t ever speak up when I was an athlete playing in the NBA. That was a different time. No one ever asked us about issues back then. Very few athletes back in my time really spoke up about politics, but times have changed now. A lot of people, whether is it athletes or entertainers or people with notoriety, they are speaking up – that is a part of being a democracy, using your voice and persuasion to help the country to become a better place.
You spoke with the team earlier today on what it means to be in a squad and a good team-mate...
I think when I speak with our team, it is always with the mindset that we have to use our individual gifts to make the team better and we have to fight the human urge to only care about ourselves. We are all built the same way, we are human beings. We want what is best for ourselves, but there is something magical about being part of a team. When everybody gives their best self to the team, there is so much power in that but there is also so much joy in that. That is what I try to teach my players: that there is nothing better than being part of a really strong team and the players understand that.
What are the main differences you see between football and basketball?
I think basketball and football are very similar sports. Obviously in football there is 11 players and there is only five in basketball, but there is a lot of action between three people in basketball and football – trying small triangles. You pass to this guy and the other cuts – you try to connect the game through these triangles. I have found there is a lot of similarity and it is one of the reasons why I really love watching football. I get inspiration from watching the sport.
Who is the player who surprised you most in your career?
Well I think with Steph Curry everyone thought he was going to be a good player when he came into the league. I thought he could be Steve Nash because I was with Steve Nash in Phoenix and I watched him play. I thought: ‘maybe Steph could become Steve Nash’. Steve Nash is a Hall of Fame player, but Steph has become one of the greatest players of all time. I don’t know that anybody could have envisioned Steph Curry at that size when he was coming into the NBA to become the player he has.
There are no relegations in the NBA, does this mean there is less pressure?
There is a lot of pressure in the NBA, even though you don’t have relegation. I wish we did have relegation; I really do. I think it is great to keep the competition strong all season long. What happens in the season when teams are doing poorly or having injuries, there is no motivation for them to play well for the whole season. There is still a lot of pressure though as coaches get fired all the time and if you don’t do well, you are not going to have your job for long. It is the same for the players, so there is always pressure.
How do you see matters at the club at the moment now you are here?
I am always excited about the club and I joined the ownership group two years ago. I came to the practice facility and talked to the team, met Javier and saw the new stadium renovations that were just beginning. Now to come back and see just how strong the club is, the stadium is beautiful. Javier did a wonderful job and now the new coaching staff are taking over and trying to take another step. A lot of the same players are here, but some new players as well. It is just so fun to watch the club get stronger and stronger and hopefully become a power, a force in LaLiga. I think it is a possibility.
