Kerr Coaches Team USA to Gold

Two Additional Pali High Graduates, One Former Highlands Resident Participated in the Paris Games

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Steve Kerr added another accomplishment to his resume last Saturday, August 10—and it may be the one he will be most proud of when his career is over.

As head coach of the USA men’s basketball team at the Summer Olympics in Paris, Kerr watched in awe from the bench as NBA star Steph Curry sank four clutch three-pointers in the last three minutes to seal a 98-87 victory over host France in the gold medal game.

It was the United States’ fifth straight gold medal in men’s basketball dating back to 2008. For Kerr, it marked another milestone in his basketball career, which has seen him win nine NBA titles (five as a player and four as a coach).

The 1983 Palisades High School graduate—who set the league record for three-point percentage in his 15-year NBA playing career—is proving to be one of the sport’s best coaches, adding an Olympic gold to his collection of titles after serving on Gregg Popovich’s staff at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

Kerr, who played baseball and basketball at Pali High before playing basketball under Lute Olson at the University of Arizona, won three straight NBA championships (1996-98) with the Chicago Bulls alongside Michael Jordan and added two more crowns with the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs (1999, 2003).

He has been head coach of the Golden State Warriors since 2014, piloting the team to four crowns (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022) and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2016 after the Warriors won a league record 73 games in the regular season.

Two other Pali High graduates participated in the Paris Games. Pro beach volleyball standout Miles Partain (Class of 2020), who led Palisades to three City indoor titles, finished fifth with partner Andy Benesh after reaching the quarterfinals.

Fencer Nick Itkin (2017) won the bronze in men’s individual foil, becoming the sixth U.S. male to medal in that event at the Olympics. At the Tokyo Games, Itkin helped the Americans take third in the men’s team foil competition.

Water polo player Johnny Hooper, who grew up in the Highlands and starred in the sport at Harvard-Westlake High and Cal, helped Team USA capture the bronze with an 11-8 triumph over Hungary in penalty shootouts, the Americans’ first medal since claiming silver in 2008. Hooper scored four goals in five group stage contests, netted his squad’s first goal against Australia in the quarterfinal round.

It was Hooper’s second trip to the Olympics. He helped the U.S. to sixth place in Tokyo.