PacifMc Palisades High School was the turf, not that far from the Riviera golf course on Sunset,,where Steve “swish” Kerr, at age 17, a senior, broke the ice, his mind’s eye metamorphosing his timely three point shot from downtown.
Masterminding the NBA Warrior championshipover the Cleveland Cavaliers in six mesmerizingdo or die games, for the Northern Californiaroyalty after some 40 years and Rick Barry’s underhanded heroics..
II
The evolution through the secondary gym tanks in the role of a sixth man, coming off the bench (Phil Jackson’s Michael Jordan ,Scotty Pippen’s triangle offense, a system devised and created by Tex Winter, a USC Trojan Horse ,under coach Sam Barry, a pioneer like HankLuisetti of Stanford, evolving the one handed set shot, off the Eastern style two handed stroke..
A teammate of Bill Sharman, a “dead eye”Celticforward with Holy Cross’s Bob Cousy, under Brooklyn born Red Auerbach, and at center, Alex Hannum, (post WW2) contemporary of Duke Wayne, discovred by John Ford on the pigskin scrimmage line, his kismet, riding“Shotgun” in “ Stagecoach” (Claire Trevor, Thomas Mithell, Porter Hall, John Carradine……Monument Valley, Arizona,being the surreal background..
III
As a youngster searching for heroes, basketball was our Darwinian jooyous rhythm from the schoolyards of P.S. 233 An d 217 in Brooklyn Kings County.
The Harlem Glob etrotters were the only scenario that our blue eyes could capture. But it wasn’t uintil Midwood High School that the
tempo and spacing between Captain Lenny Singer, Wally Kaplan, Shelly Fein, Ira Schneider, center Lausgarden… Stan Rubin. vHowie Weisglass, Lefty Fisher, coming off the be nch.
IV
What seems to be the tyranny of time, is the theshuffling of the cards, the predestined kismet for the player to go his own way. Yet the metamorphosis, evolving into a selfless family of quality human beings..
Steve Kerr’s Golden Gate Warriors….
V
Yet from all appearances, and the momentum in time…the kismet an d its enchantment ..an“Over the rainbow” being realized.
How could this b e? The presence of mind,never throwing the towel in. The perseverance of day to day “sweats” …the ultimate belief in the dream, transcending survival of the species, testing oneself, and the greatest and magic that those early yearnings of Steve Kerr’s at Pacific Palisades High School…
A growth and development that mirrors the birth of the 13 colonies into the government as we know it….from a land of immigrants to the State of Liberty. Welcoming all to become quality human beings.
Vi
Ucla’sWilbur Johns following the tract to John Wooden, their initials in reverse, the coach becoming athletic director, tied his coaching career to coach Wooden’s All American player to his evolving athletic director role..
Did player coach Steve Kerr have a similar transformation with Phil Jackson or Tex Winter while sitting on the bench, the Chicago Bulls won their championships, coach Winter’s triangle , transcending this playground gym bleacher ambiance into international hoopla
and recognition.
VII
Michel Jordan., his alter ego Scotty Pippen, Steve Kerry at the three point line, hitting from downtown 40 % of the time, the shot clock winding down..
VIII
How coach Kerr acquired his uncanny mind’s eye, to sin k such a legendary percentage of “one handed bombs from downtown”, is beyond our ”Ouija” board.
His initials may be a foretaste to Stephen Curry, a magician with both hands…the most valuable player in the NBA, this selfless human , fits into the Kerr evolution, doesn’t it?
VII
A quest for Darwin’s Galapagos Islands, perhaps not. But how else can one discover their kismet, if not becoming Christopher Columbusor identifying with Darwin in making his evolution part of his soul.
How else can a human being become quality? Didn’t “coach” beat the system… the inevitable”Waiting for Steve Kerr”
SWISH!
June 22, 2015 the City that never sleeps.
