The Chicago Bulls' Ring of Honor banquet and dinner Thursday night included Steve Kerr at Phil Jackson's table. Kerr thought about what "The Zenmaster" had taught him as the night went on and members of the 1995-96 championship squad exchanged smiles and recollections.
"Every time I see or talk to Phil, I learn something. "He's amazing," Kerr said Friday before the Warriors played the Bulls. "We were telling random stories Thursday night when he said, ‘Yeah, we lost to Milwaukee the next night.’" This is 26-28 years ago. His photographic memory and knowledge are astounding. So simply conversing with him, I always write things down and remember them, which has helped me in my coaching profession."
Kerr's viewpoint is unique, having played for and coached the Bulls and Warriors. The Warriors' sub-.500 season may be over, but Kerr enjoyed his trip to Chicago.
We felt amazing confidence before every game. You need to be good to win that many games. You gain an unbelievable impetus "Kerr stated. "You feel like you'll win every night and fly during the season. Dog days and terrible games don't seem to happen too often. Each side may have lost one or two terrible games, which is impossible
Kerr joked pregame about attending the halftime ceremony honoring the inaugural Ring of Honor class, which featured the 1995-96 72-game winners. "From what I gather, it’s 25 minutes," Kerr said of halftime. "I wouldn’t know what to say to my team for 25 minutes." Thursday night and Friday's intermission enabled Kerr to see Jackson and his teammates again.
What Phil did year after year was set expectations and a standard and then drove a culture of inclusivity of inspiration of beauty," said Kerr. "You couldn't wait to go to the gym every day because you knew you were part of something amazing. That was Phil's genius." DeMar DeRozan was a diehard Lakers fan from Compton, California. He also likes NBA history
“It's amazing to play for such a historic franchise,” DeRozan added. "For me being from Compton, growing up a Lakers fan, seeing the success he had, it was definitely amazing to see those guys come back and get the love that they deserve.
DeRozan chuckled when asked if Jackson is a better Lakers coach than Bulls coach. "I'm more aware of Lakers time," DeRozan added. "But I feel like I'm right there with (the Bulls' history) by putting on a Bulls jersey every single night