Kerr compares Warriors rookie to Michael Jordan

Steve Kerr has seen greatness up close.

As a player, he won three championships alongside Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls.

As a coach, he has won four titles with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

So when Kerr says something reminds him of Jordan, it carries weight.

In a recent interview, Kerr did exactly that.

He compared coaching a 39-year-old Stephen Curry to playing with Michael Jordan in his prime.

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

“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.”

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

He is 39 years old.

The Warriors hold a 5-3 record despite being projected by many analysts to be one of the worst teams in the Western Conference.

Kerr pointed to a specific Jordan-esque trait in Curry.

He said Curry is the only player he has seen who can break down any defense built to stop him, even as age slows him down.

“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 added.

The comparison is striking for several reasons.

Michael Jordan was the same age as Curry is now — 39 — during his final season with the Bulls in 1998.

Jordan averaged 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists that year.

He led the Bulls to their sixth NBA championship.

Curry’s current numbers are comparable: 30.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

But the team situations are very different.

The 1998 Bulls had a veteran roster built to contend: Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoč.

They were legitimate title contenders with Jordan as the difference-making piece.

The 2026 Warriors do not have that kind of roster.

Golden State is in a transition period.

The core that won four championships — Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green — has aged.

Thompson left for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 offseason.

Green remains but is 36 and no longer an All-Star level defender.

The Warriors have tried to rebuild on the fly with young players.

High draft picks like James Wiseman (No. 2 overall in 2020) and Jonathan Kuminga (No. 7 overall in 2021) did not develop into stars.

Wiseman was traded to the Detroit Pistons in 2023.

Kuminga was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a sign-and-trade deal in 2025.

This season, the Warriors are relying on a mix of veterans and unproven players.

One of the bright spots has been rookie Yaxel Lendeborg.

Lendeborg, 24, is not a typical rookie.

He played at a junior college before transferring to UAB and later Michigan.

He helped lead the Wolverines to the NCAA title earlier this year.

He is averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Lendeborg has already made headlines for his aggressive style.

In an early-season game against the Los Angeles Lakers, he went after Luka Dončić.

Dončić responded by scoring 21 of his 37 points in the first quarter of their second meeting.

Kerr said he is fine with his rookie being audacious.

“You know, there’s an old saying in coaching: you’d rather rein a guy back in than try to get him going,” Kerr said.

“And, um, I think that’s true with Yaxel. He wants to be great. He’s got this competitive spirit.”

Kerr added that Curry had a perfect comment after the Lakers game.

“Steph had a great comment after that Laker game. You know, he said, ‘Hey, I love Yaxel’s competitive desire, but now he’s got to back it up,'” Kerr recalled.

“And, um, I thought that was perfectly said.”

Lendeborg has backed it up.

He has scored 26, 31 and 26 points in separate games.

After a six-point dud against the Lakers, he responded with a 37-point night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

But the larger story remains Curry.

Kerr’s Jordan comparison is not just about skill.

It is about longevity and impact.

Jordan played 15 NBA seasons.

Curry is in his 17th season.

Both players changed how basketball is played.

Jordan popularized the scoring guard archetype.

Curry revolutionized the three-point shot.

Kerr has been in the unique position of seeing both up close.

He played with Jordan from 1995 to 1998.

He has coached Curry since 2014.

He has won seven championships between the two experiences.

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

“And you marvel at what he’s capable of doing no matter what the defence does.”

The question now is whether the Warriors can build a contender around Curry before he retires.