Steve Kerr explains key difference between NBA and FIBA, throws joke on Kobe's Day / News - Basketnews.com

Steve Kerr embraces the pressure to win the World Cup 2023, as his national team roster selection was significantly influenced by his prior experiences under Gregg Popovich's guidance.

Credit: Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix Credit Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

August 24 holds special significance for Team USA's head coach Steve Kerr.

USA / Schedule

USA New ZealandSat12:40 Greece USAMon12:40 USA Jordan08-3008:40

Basketball fans worldwide associate it with Kobe Bryant Day due to the jersey numbers that he wore during his 20-year NBA career.

It also holds great importance for Team USA as they kick off their FIBA World Cup 2023 campaign.

In the official press conference before their opening match against New Zealand on August 26, Steve Kerr and Jalen Brunson discussed their initial impressions of the Philippines and the coming challenge ahead.

However, August 24 also carries a unique personal meaning for Kerr.

"8/24 is my mom's birthday, so that's what I know most about that day," he shared with a smile during the press conference when asked about his memories of Kobe Bryant.

He humorously added, "So happy birthday, mom. There's no way she's watching it right now."

Kerr reflected on his memories of Kobe, saying, "I have great memories of playing against him and then coaching against him late in his career. To have the good fortune to be in the NBA at the same time as one of the all-time greats, watch him, and compete against him was really special. We all think about Kobe to this day and everything he meant to the league and all of us."

As Team USA gears up for the FIBA World Cup, their mission is to regain the title of world champions after finishing seventh in the 2019 tournament, the second-worst finish in USA basketball history.

Kerr emphasized how his experience as an assistant to Gregg Popovich in 2019 and 2021 influenced his head coaching debut in the national team.

"That experience really formed how we picked this team. We wanted guys we felt could be a team in a short period. We have players with a great feel on this team. They're connected, they can all pass, they're enjoying the experience," Kerr praised his team.

Jalen Brunson

Position:PGAge:26Height:191 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

"It was great for me to have the experience of being an assistant for Pop [Gregg Popovich] in 2019 and 2021. Because you get to feel what it's like putting a team together for six weeks. It's totally different from the NBA. You can't build continuity, years of experience, and piece together a team. You're doing it like that," Kerr snapped his fingers.

Credit AFP

Kerr admitted his team already got some valuable lessons. Team USA won all five preparation games against Puerto Rico (117-74), Slovenia (92-62), Spain (98-88), Greece (108-86), and Germany (99-91).

"The most important thing was to get used to FIBA rules and play together. Amidst that, we played against very tough teams. We have confidence, but we also took some blows, both Spain and Germany gave us all we could handle, and that experience will help us because we know how good these teams are now," Kerr praised Germany and Spain for pushing them to the ropes.

Any result other than gold is always considered a failure in the United States. However, Team USA's point guard, Jalen Brunson, is not avoiding the challenge.

"For me personally, there's no such thing as pressure," the New York Knicks star said when asked about the pressure.

"I've figured out that as long as I continue working hard on my game, giving everything I can, there's no such thing as pressure. There are different moments and situations with harder stakes than the others. But my confidence comes from my work ethic. As long as I keep working hard and know I'm doing something every day to improve, there is no pressure. I think for the team, we're going to rely on each other when moments like that happen," analyzed Brunson.

Kerr, who won a FIBA World Cup gold medal in 1986, addressed the weight of responsibility.

"Pressure is sort of what you make of it. We all love what we do. I love coaching. I love the pressure or how we want to describe the competition. Part of being a competitor is embracing the fact that you can lose. That's all the point of competing. There's winning, and there's losing," Kerr explained.

"What goes into that is the effort, approach, and chemistry. I love being part of a team. I love doing what we're doing right now. Trying to build something and have something at stake. And the beauty of sports is that nobody is going to die. We're going to compete, we're going to play as hard as we can, we're going to try to win a gold medal. If we don't, we understand there will be plenty of criticism, and we're okay with that," he added.

"But our approach is this is incredibly fun, we're unbelievably fortunate to be able to do this, to compete, and look back on the rest of our lives knowing we did everything we could. Like I said, we're putting in an effort, and we want to win, but whatever happens, happens, we live with that, and it's part of a competition."

Like what we are doing? You can express your gratitude here.