Kerr compares Warriors rookie to Michael Jordan

Steve Kerr has seen greatness from both sides.

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 on the Golden State Warriors.

So when Kerr compares the two, it carries weight.

In a recent interview, Kerr did exactly that.

“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.”

Kerr was talking about Curry, who is now 39 years old.

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.

Kerr elaborated on what makes Curry so special at this stage of his career.

“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.

The comparison is not just about scoring.

It is about how defenses treat Curry.

Jordan faced the same thing in his later years with the Bulls.

Teams built entire game plans around stopping him.

They threw double teams, traps, and physical defense at him.

None of it worked consistently.

Curry faces the same treatment.

Opponents chase him off the three-point line, blitz him on pick-and-rolls, and foul him before he can shoot.

He still finds ways to produce.

Kerr said Curry is the only player he has seen with the Jordan-esque trait of breaking down any defense built to stop him, despite age slowing him down.

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

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

He led the Bulls to their sixth NBA championship.

The team infrastructure around Jordan ensured they were realistic title contenders.

Jordan was the difference-making piece on a championship roster.

The Warriors and Curry do not have that same roster today.

Golden State is not considered a title contender this season.

But Kerr believes Curry is still the same level of difference-maker, provided his team is in position to compete.

The Warriors have not had an easy start to the season.

They have relied heavily on Curry to carry the offense.

Young players like rookie Yaxel Lendeborg have stepped up.

Lendeborg, a 24-year-old rookie out of Michigan, is averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

He has given the Warriors a boost with his relentless mentality.

Kerr has praised Lendeborg’s competitive spirit.

“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.”

But the team still belongs to Curry.

Kerr made that clear in his Jordan comparison.

The Warriors are not the Bulls of 1998.

They do not have Scottie Pippen or Dennis Rodman.

They do not have a roster built for a deep playoff run.

What they have is Curry, playing at a level that reminds Kerr of the greatest player he ever shared a court with.

That alone gives Golden State a chance on any given night.

Kerr’s comments also highlight the emotional side of watching Curry play.

Kerr spoke about the love for the game, the competitiveness, the passion, and the desire to put on a show for the fans.

Those are traits he saw in Jordan.

He sees them now in Curry.

The comparison is not new.

Fans and analysts have compared Curry to Jordan for years.

But hearing it from Kerr, who played with Jordan and coaches Curry, adds a layer of credibility.

Kerr knows what it takes to win at the highest level.

He has done it as a player and as a coach.

He has been in the locker room with both legends.

His words carry weight in the basketball world.

The question now is whether Curry can sustain this level.

At 39, every season could be his last at an elite level.

Jordan played his last game as a Bull at 35.

He came back with the Washington Wizards at 38 but was not the same player.

Curry is defying that pattern.

He is averaging 30 points per game at 39.

Only a handful of players in NBA history have done that.

Kerr’s comparison to Jordan puts Curry in rare company.

It also raises expectations for the Warriors.