Jeremiah Smith’s Michael Jordan Mindset to Fix His Penalty Problem

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has spent more time around greatness than almost anyone in NBA history.

He won three championships playing alongside Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls.

Then he built another dynasty coaching Stephen Curry.

Now, with Curry playing at 39 years old, Kerr is seeing something he never expected.

“Honestly, it really does remind me of what it was like to play with Michael Jordan back in the day,” Kerr said in a recent interview.

The comparison is not about stats.

It is about something much rarer.

“Every single night, you are just amazed, and you marvel at what he’s capable of doing no matter what the defence does, but also just the longevity of it,” Kerr added.

Curry is averaging 30.0 points, 4.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds this season.

The Warriors hold a 5-3 record despite being projected as one of the worst teams in the Western Conference.

Jordan was the same age as Curry in 1998, his final year with the Bulls.

That season, Jordan averaged 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists while winning his sixth NBA championship.

The team infrastructure around Jordan made the Bulls realistic title contenders.

Curry does not have that same roster around him right now.

But Kerr sees the same force at work.

“To see night after night, defences doing everything possible to slow Steph down as they did with Michael, and yet the love for the game, the competitiveness, the passion, the desire to put on a show for the fans — there’s such great comparisons to be made there,” Kerr said.

Kerr made his name as one of the best shooters in NBA history during his time with the Bulls.

He won those three titles alongside Jordan from 1996 to 1998.

Over a decade later, he began coaching Curry, who would go on to become the greatest shooter in NBA history.

The duo won four championships together with the Warriors, most recently in 2022.

Curry is clearly past the prime of his career.

But he remains one of the most lethal guard scorers in the NBA.

Jordan was the same age in 1998, but the Bulls had a roster built to compete for titles.

Jordan was the difference-making piece on a team that already had Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and a deep supporting cast.

Curry does not have that same level of help.

The Warriors roster is younger and less proven.

Experts projected them to struggle this season.

But Curry keeps producing at an elite level anyway.

Kerr has watched defenses throw everything at Curry, just as they did with Jordan.

Double teams. Box-and-one defenses. Full-court pressure.

Nothing seems to stop him.

“The longevity of it” is the part Kerr keeps coming back to.

Jordan played 15 NBA seasons.

Curry is in his 16th season.

Both players maintained their dominance well into their late 30s.

Jordan averaged 20.0 points per game in his final season at age 40 with the Washington Wizards.

Curry is averaging 30.0 points per game at 39.

Kerr has a unique perspective because he saw Jordan up close every day.

He also sees Curry every day in practice and games.

He is the only person alive who can make this comparison from both sides.

“Every single night you just are amazed,” Kerr said.

The Warriors are not expected to compete for a title this season.

But fans, experts and Kerr himself know that Curry is the same level of difference-maker that Jordan was.

The difference is the team around him.

Jordan had a championship-caliber roster around him in 1998.

Curry does not have that in 2026.

But Kerr believes Curry could still be the deciding factor if the roster ever gets to that point.

“Provided his team is in the spot to compete,” Kerr said, Curry can be that same kind of force.

The comparison between Curry and Jordan has been made before.