"The best move he made was hiring Steve Kerr" - NBA analyst reflects on Bob Myers' greatest achievement for Golden State Warriors

Bob Myers will be stepping down as general manager and president of the Golden State Warriors. He is considered by many to be the architect of the Bay Area team’s dynasty over the last 12 years.

Chris Broussard, on “The Odd Couple Podcast,” asserts that among the myriad of things Myers did for the Dubs, his biggest move is often underrated:

“Bob Myers made some great moves. The best move he made was hiring Steve Kerr. Because Steve Kerr put in an offense that took them to another level.”

On this date in 2014, Steve Kerr was introduced as Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors. Since then:

👏 4x NBA Champion
👏 Named one of the top 15 coaches in NBA history
👏 2nd most wins by a coach in franchise history https://t.co/BrrS0TzgQz

Mark Jackson was the Warriors’ coach before Kerr’s arrival. Jackson started heading into the 2011-12 season about the same time Bob Myers was hired by team owner Joe Lacob to be an assistant general manager.

In Jackson’s second season, the Warriors returned to the playoffs after a five-year absence. They pushed the San Antonio Spurs to six games in 2013. The following year, they lost a hard-fought seven-game series against the LA Clippers.

Myers, who was elevated to general manager in 2012, felt the team still had more potential behind the duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. He let go of Jackson, who the GM thought, had taken the team as far as he could take them.

Steve Kerr hadn’t been a coach in 2014. And yet, he was the top choice of both the New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors. Kerr’s former coach, Phil Jackson was the Knicks’ new president of basketball operations. Many thought the two would reunite in the Big Apple.

Well, Steph and Klay were drafted before he was GM, BUT...

He drafted Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes & Jordan Poole

Traded for Andre Iguodala & Andrew Wiggins

Signed Kevin Durant

And fired Mark Jackson then hired Steve Kerr twitter.com/DrGuru_/status…

Bob Myers had to thank the legendary Marv Albert for convincing Kerr to stay out of New York. Both were calling games for TNT and were quite close. Albert forced his former partner to see that the Bay Area job was the one the multi-titled former player had to go for.

Kerr turned the Warriors into a marauding team that hummed via ball movement, unselfishness and defense. Mark Jackson called Steph Curry and Klay Thompson the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history before they even won a championship. The former Bulls player unleashed the potential of that partnership.

Bob Myers’ move worked like a magic charm. With Kerr at the helm, the Warriors went to the NBA Finals five straight times, winning three of them. The Kerr-Myers tandem helped bring in the likes of Andre Iguodala and Kevin Durant.

Here's the full Chris Broussard podcast

Bob Myers’ drafting was at least solid for the Golden State Warriors

Steph Curry came into the NBA two years before Bob Myers was even interviewed by the Golden State Warriors. Klay Thompson was drafted in 2011 when the former UCLA Bruin was still an assistant to Larry Riley. He likely had an input in Thompson’s drafting but it was probably Riley who made the call.

Myers was undoubtedly behind the drafting of Draymond Green, Festus Ezeli and Harrison Barnes. Both Ezeli and Barnes won titles with the Warriors in 2015. Green, on the other hand, remains one of the team’s core players alongside Curry and Thompson.

Bob Myers run as the leader of our Basketball Operations group was historic. https://t.co/P3uydap7q6

Among the other notable names that were drafted by Myers were Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and Patrick Baldwin. Only Wiseman is no longer with the team in this group.

Also read: What was Bob Myers' salary? Finding out more about the Warriors GM