Steve Kerr was always a reserve, but in 1997, in the sixth game of the Chicago Bulls finals against Utah Jazz, he scored the final basket to win the ring ‘and save Michael Jordan‘s balls again’, [his joke] who was the one who provided him with that assist.

It was his second NBA title, he would go on to win three more as a player, two of them in San Antonio, and four as coach of the Golden State Warriors saga. And just a month ago he won Olympic gold, to make up for the fiasco of the 2023 World Cup where the United States only finished fourth.

His ambition to do things in life also led him to become a shareholder of Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, a team with a really interesting project.

It was a fascinating summer, wasn’t it?

“Yes, of course it was. It was very exciting to participate in the Olympic Games in Paris and to lead the team to the gold medal. Very exciting. And speaking at the Democratic Convention was also a great experience. Now, being on holiday in Mallorca is wonderful.”

When you were 17 points down against Serbia, we can imagine you looking around and seeing so much talent and thinking ‘yes, we can do it’. Does this spirit also apply to a modest team like Mallorca, even though it is full of dreams?

“Yes, it was like that. I think that managing a team is always the same. There is not so much difference between coaching the Warriors, the US national team or Mallorca. It’s about getting the best out of each of the players, but the most important thing is communication with them. Leadership is communication. That’s the most important thing.”

With nine NBA rings, why did you decide to come to Mallorca?

“Andy Kohlberg – the main shareholder – and I are good friends. And when he called me a couple of years ago to ask me if I would be interested, I said yes. I love football. I watch a lot of football, La Liga, the Premier League, a lot… at home in California. Investing in a team not just financially, but emotionally, is a lot of fun. And it gives me the opportunity to have a team to cheer for and a reason to come to Mallorca every summer.”

What can you take from your experience in the NBA and with the Dream Team to a club like Mallorca?

“I spoke to the players this morning and we talked about the team culture, about the importance of every player contributing every day in training, the support between players, the enthusiasm. That’s what will build a club culture. I wasn’t a great player, I was a reserve, but I think I had a big impact just with my daily attitude. And that’s a common denominator between all the great teams I’ve been part of.”

What did you learn from players like Michael Jordan, whom you were teammates with, or Stephen Curry and Lebron James, whom you’ve coached?

“They are unique players. They are all incredibly passionate about what they do, about their sport. Obviously they’re talented players with tremendous skills, but then they’re also competitive and smart. They are so smart that they are constantly learning new ways to be better. And they have prolonged their careers because they take care of themselves. All great players are committed and talented, but also smart.”

You are a great strategist. How do you keep developing from your position?

“In the NBA, I’ve always looked at managing a team as an agreement with my best players. I know they’re the ones who lead the team in the locker room and I’m the one who has to connect with them. Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson over the years have connected very well. We’ve led the team together and sometimes I’ve had to be tough on them or the team. But if you have a strong relationship, then you can do both.”

Football doesn’t seem so different from the NBA, after all, it’s about managing stars with their egos, right?

“That’s what I think. In professional sports, managing is pretty much the same. It doesn’t matter if it’s football, basketball or any other sport. It’s about getting a group of people to play together with their different personalities and egos. We all have egos. And getting them all to push for the same goal is what a coach’s strengths are all about.”

There’s a difference between football and the NBA. If you fail, there’s no next year. How is it possible to ask the fans for patience?

“That’s a good question. It depends on the circumstances, where your team is, where they’re playing. But I think most fans want to see what’s going on out there. I admire the year-on-year improvement of Mallorca, for example. Not only in the performance on the pitch, but also in the stadium, in the infrastructure. It’s obvious that the owners, led by Andy and his team, are building something very strong, a culture and a robust organisation. I think as long as the fans continue to see hope, you can ask for patience.”

How do you handle guys who spend $600 on a shirt or $200,000 on a car, or who are on their mobile phones all the time?

“You have to adapt to each generation. We didn’t have mobile phones when I was playing, so we didn’t have to deal with that problem. You have to connect with it and understand them. I have no problem with my players having their mobile phones in the dressing room. I have no problem understanding the pressure on them with social media and all the new things that we didn’t have to deal with. I know these things and I make sure I understand what they are dealing with and that they see that I understand.”

What is the first image you remember from a football match?

“Maradona and the hand of God. Do you remember that? It was in…(and he hesitates) 1986. That’s my first memory.”

What do you remember about your father [he was the director of the American University in Beirut before he was assassinated]?

“My father was a wonderful man. A great father who loved his family. He loved his work and his life. My personal values, as a father, as a husband and as a coach, I learned from him. And also from my mother.”

Did you ever feel a thirst for revenge on the men who murdered your father?

“No, I have never had that feeling of revenge. It’s a strange feeling, and it still lasts. But I have never been prey to revenge for that. It’s more, I would say, sadness. For his death, but also for the circle of violence in the Middle East that never ends. I’m sad for the people in Israel who had their throats slit; I’m sad for the people in Gaza who have been bombed. I am sad for anyone who is a victim of violence in that area because I know how they feel.

Your grandparents were missionaries, after that episode did you lose faith in God?

“I have never been a very religious person, so when my father was killed I didn’t lose faith in God. I think I lost faith in human beings. I also understood later that violence is part of life and I tried to respond to the tragedy in a positive way.”

Why have all your siblings also succeeded in life? You have a sister who is a professor at Cambridge, another brother is a university professor

“I see that he has done his homework. I am very proud of all of them. They have achieved a lot of success in different areas. What’s the secret? I think we were very fortunate to live and grow up in the family that we did. We grew up around the world [spent years in Beirut], travelled a lot and met a lot of people from many corners. We learned compassion and empathy, and were raised by wonderful parents.”

Your ‘night, night’ gesture to Donald Trump went viral. Is America really the best country to live in right now?

“I love America. I love my country. I was proud to see the flag being raised (after the victory) at the Paris Olympics. America has given me many fabulous opportunities, so it’s a wonderful place. But part of my job as a citizen is to try, also, to make it an even better place. And there are things that I think could be done better.”

So Kamala Harris could be the way out?

“Yes, I think she could be a breath of fresh air. She could be a new energy. She has the dignity that Trump doesn’t have and I believe in her. I believe in her policies on abortion, on gun prevention, on immigration. I’m very supportive of the personality of Kamala Harris.”