The Untold Story: How Two Coaches Quietly Revolutionized the NBA Forever

If coaching legends were superheroes, Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson would be the ones who rewrote the entire playbook—literally transforming what it means to lead an NBA team. Steve Kerr knows this firsthand. Before he became the Golden State Warriors’ master tactician, he was a wide-eyed player learning the ropes under these two giants. Now, with Popovich’s recent retirement stirring the pot, Kerr’s reflection isn’t just nostalgic—it’s a recognition that the game we watch today is, in many ways, their legacy. How often do non-players alter the DNA of a league? Rarely. But these coaches didn’t just call plays; they redefined culture, chemistry, and collaboration in basketball—so much so that the ripple effects still echo in every locker room and sideline today. Let’s dive into what made their influence so transformative and why Kerr believes the game will never be the same.

Today, Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors is one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in the NBA.

But there was a time when he was just a player, looking to be guided and led.

On Friday, Kerr spoke about the men who shaped him and how the entire league has been influenced by two NBA giants.

He said that the newly retired Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson “transformed” coaching in multiple years over the last 20 years.

“I think [Gregg Popovich] transformed coaching over the last 20 years,” Kerr explained to NBC Sports. “I think it went from one era to the next with several coaches leading the way. I think Phil Jackson and Pop, and I know I’m biased for both of them, but each of them in their own way transformed the coaching profession into more than just X’s and O’s authoritarian figure to culture and collaboration and the unique chemistry great teams have. Those two guys, in my mind, helped create the current culture we’re in.

Kerr was lucky enough to play for both Popovich and Jackson during his 15-year career as an NBA player.

He also happened to win a championship with both of them.

They were two forces of nature who gained a lot of attention, not just for how they handled their players and the press, but for how they changed the ways people viewed the game of basketball.

To many, Popovich and Jackson are just as important as the players they coached.

Popovich announced on Friday that he was retiring from coaching, but he won’t stray far from the San Antonio Spurs.

No matter what happens, his influence will still be felt in Kerr, Ime Udoka, and the many other coaches who were influenced by him.

It’s not every day that a non-player transforms the league, but that is exactly what Popovich and Jackson did, and their legacies will remain.

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