"He literally drove people off the team": Steve Kerr reveals Michael Jordan’s major theory of excellence forced him to earn his stripes the hard way

Bulls legend Michael Jordan was renowned for his relentless competitiveness and winning mentality during his time in Chicago. On Friday, former teammate Steve Kerr reflected on that intensity, sharing how he had to earn Jordan’s respect the hard way.

During an appearance on the "Glue Guys" podcast, Kerr reflected on playing alongside Michael Jordan and the challenge of meeting the superstar’s lofty standards. He shared that Jordan had a particular philosophy on excellence, and that it took him nine years plus a championship-winning buzzer beater to earn his respect finally.

"That was his way. He was not an easy teammate, he drove us so hard and held everyone to such high standards that he literally drove people off the team," Kerr said (20:51 onwards). "His theory was that if you couldn’t stand the heat in practice from him, then you wouldn’t be able to handle the heat of the NBA Finals."

Continuing to speak about his time as Jordan's teammate, Kerr revealed how he pushed everyone, but also instilled a sense of confidence within the team.

"You had to bring it every single day because he brought it, and he set an incredible tone. The beauty of it was, as difficult as it could be to be his teammate and live up to all that, you always knew you were going to win because he was on your team."

Steve Kerr joined the Chicago Bulls in 1993, the same year Michael Jordan took his first retirement from basketball. While Kerr mostly came off the bench during his stint in Chicago, he became a key contributor to the Bulls’ second three-peat, delivering crucial points as the team’s go-to three-point shooting specialist.

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Steve Kerr once compared his Warriors superstar to former teammate Michael Jordan: "We all take him for granted"

Not many players can measure up to Michael Jordan’s legacy in the NBA. However, former Chicago Bulls guard Steve Kerr once noted that Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry shared some striking similarities with MJ.

During a press conference in 2023, Kerr highlighted the similarities between the two "great" players.

"We all take him (Curry) for granted because he's brilliant night after night and we've been watching this for ten years," Kerr said. "This is one of the great players in the history of the game. But that's how I felt back in my playing days with Michael Jordan, you'd see it night after night, so you just took it for granted."

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"We all take him for granted...that's how I felt in my playing days with Michael Jordan." Warriors head coach Steve Kerr on Steph Curry's greatness over the years. #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel

Although still short of matching MJ’s total NBA titles, Steph Curry has transformed the game with his scoring prowess and unprecedented shooting range from beyond the arc.