How Many Rings Does Steve Kerr Have? 9, as a player and Coach
How many rings does Steve Kerr have? Steve Kerr has 9 NBA championship rings. Five came as a player, with the Chicago Bulls (1996, 1997, 1998) and the San Antonio Spurs (1999, 2003).
Four came as head coach of the Golden State Warriors (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022). As of October 2026, he is still the Warriors coach, and his count is 9.
Kerr played in five Finals and won all five. As a coach, he has reached six and won four. That puts him at 9-2 across 11 NBA Finals.
- Finals
- 11
- Finals won
- 9
- As a player
- 5 (Bulls 3, Spurs 2)
- As head coach
- 4 (Warriors)
- Finals record
- 9-2
- Age at each title
- 30 to 56
Every Finals, as player and coach
- 1996SuperSonicsWon 4-2
- 1997JazzWon 4-2
- 1998JazzWon 4-2
- 1999KnicksWon 4-1
- 2003NetsWon 4-2
- 2015CavaliersWon 4-2
- 2016CavaliersLost 3-4
- 2017CavaliersWon 4-1
- 2018CavaliersWon 4-0
- 2019RaptorsLost 2-4
- 2022CelticsWon 4-2
Kerr’s nine rings at a glance
| Title year | Role and team | Opponent | Series | Clinching game | Final score | Finals MVP | Kerr’s age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Player, Bulls | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-2 | Game 6, Jun 16, 1996, Chicago | Bulls 87, SuperSonics 75 | Michael Jordan | 30 |
| 1997 | Player, Bulls | Utah Jazz | 4-2 | Game 6, Jun 13, 1997, Chicago | Bulls 90, Jazz 86 | Michael Jordan | 31 |
| 1998 | Player, Bulls | Utah Jazz | 4-2 | Game 6, Jun 14, 1998, Salt Lake City | Bulls 87, Jazz 86 | Michael Jordan | 32 |
| 1999 | Player, Spurs | New York Knicks | 4-1 | Game 5, Jun 25, 1999, New York | Spurs 78, Knicks 77 | Tim Duncan | 33 |
| 2003 | Player, Spurs | New Jersey Nets | 4-2 | Game 6, Jun 15, 2003, San Antonio | Spurs 88, Nets 77 | Tim Duncan | 37 |
| 2015 | Head coach, Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-2 | Game 6, Jun 16, 2015, Cleveland | Warriors 105, Cavaliers 97 | Andre Iguodala | 49 |
| 2017 | Head coach, Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-1 | Game 5, Jun 12, 2017, Oakland | Warriors 129, Cavaliers 120 | Kevin Durant | 51 |
| 2018 | Head coach, Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-0 | Game 4, Jun 8, 2018, Cleveland | Warriors 108, Cavaliers 85 | Kevin Durant | 52 |
| 2022 | Head coach, Warriors | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Game 6, Jun 16, 2022, Boston | Warriors 103, Celtics 90 | Stephen Curry | 56 |
Age is on the clinching date. Phil Jackson coached the Bulls and Gregg Popovich coached the Spurs. Data as of October 2026.
Walk each of Kerr’s 11 Finals runs
Kerr’s road to nine rings
Eleven Finals trips, five as a player and six as a coach. Nine rings. Pick a run, then tap each round to see the series.
Five rings as a player, no Finals starts
| Title year | Team (head coach) | Finals games played | Finals points | Kerr in the clincher | Finals starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Bulls (Phil Jackson) | 6 of 6 | 30 | 7 pts | 0 |
| 1997 | Bulls (Phil Jackson) | 6 of 6 | 26 | 9 pts | 0 |
| 1998 | Bulls (Phil Jackson) | 6 of 6 | 23 | 0 pts | 0 |
| 1999 | Spurs (Gregg Popovich) | 5 of 5 | 9 | 0 pts | 0 |
| 2003 | Spurs (Gregg Popovich) | 4 of 6 | 8 | 2 pts | 0 |
Kerr came off the bench in every Finals game he played. He played 27 of 29 Finals games and scored 96 points. Data as of October 2026.
Kerr was a reserve guard and three point specialist. He never started a Finals game. He missed two in 2003, Games 1 and 3, by coach’s decision.
His best known shot came in Game 6 of the 1997 Finals. The game was tied at 86 late. Michael Jordan drew a double team and passed to Kerr. He hit a 17 foot jumper with 5 seconds left. Chicago won 90-86 for its fifth title of the Jordan era.
Kerr won with Jordan three times and with Tim Duncan twice. Jordan was Finals MVP in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Duncan was Finals MVP in 1999 and 2003. Kerr’s last game was the 2003 clincher, and he announced his retirement on August 7, 2003.
Four rings as head coach, and the games Kerr missed
Kerr won the 2015 title in his first season as a head coach. The Warriors went 67-15 and beat Cleveland 4-2. They beat Cleveland again in 2017 and 2018, then Boston in 2022. Stephen Curry was Finals MVP in 2022. Kevin Durant won it in 2017 and 2018.
Three seasons carry an asterisk. Kerr missed games in each, and a stand in coach led the team. The NBA credits every win and loss to the head coach of record. Kerr was the head coach of record each time.
| Season | Why Kerr was out | Stand in coach | Games missed | Stand in record | Credited to Kerr | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 regular season | Recovery from back surgery | Luke Walton | 43 | 39-4 | 73-9 | Lost the Finals |
| 2016-17 playoffs | Health | Mike Brown | 11 | 11-0 | 16-1 | Won the title |
| 2021-22 playoffs | COVID health and safety protocols | Mike Brown | 3 | 2-1 | 16-6 | Won the title |
Walton was interim head coach from October 27, 2015 to January 20, 2016. Brown was acting head coach in 2017 and 2022. Data as of October 2026.
The 2017 title is the one fans ask about. Kerr coached the first two games against Portland and then missed 11 playoff games. Brown coached all 11 and the Warriors won every one.
Kerr came back for Game 2 of the Finals. He coached 6 of the 17 playoff games and went 5-1 on the bench. The NBA and Basketball-Reference credit all 17 games to Kerr, 16-1. The 2017 ring counts.
Two Finals that ended without a ring
| Year | Opponent | Series | Last game | Final score | Warriors regular season | Finals MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Lost 3-4 | Game 7, Jun 19, 2016 | Cavaliers 93, Warriors 89 | 73-9 | LeBron James |
| 2019 | Toronto Raptors | Lost 2-4 | Game 6, Jun 13, 2019 | Raptors 114, Warriors 110 | 57-25 | Kawhi Leonard |
Kerr coached both teams. Data as of October 2026.
The 2016 Warriors won 73 games and led the Finals 3-1. Cleveland won the last three. In 2019 the Warriors reached a fifth straight Finals and lost to Toronto in six.
By the numbers: Kerr’s Warriors went 21-13 in Finals games. As a player he never lost a Finals series.
Kerr’s nine next to the other title coaches
| Coach | Titles | Title years |
|---|---|---|
| Phil Jackson | 11 | 1991 to 1993, 1996 to 1998, 2000 to 2002, 2009, 2010 |
| Red Auerbach | 9 | 1957, 1959 to 1966 |
| John Kundla | 5 | 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954 |
| Pat Riley | 5 | 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2006 |
| Gregg Popovich | 5 | 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014 |
| Steve Kerr | 4 | 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 |
Head coach titles only. Kundla’s five include a 1949 title won in the BAA, which the NBA counts. Data as of October 2026.
Only six coaches have won four or more titles. Jackson, Riley and Kerr also won as players. Popovich won all five of his with Duncan, and Jackson won all six Bulls titles with Jordan.
Fourteen people have won a title as a player and as a head coach. Kerr is the only one of them who won his player titles with the Bulls or the Spurs.
| Person | As a player | As head coach | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Russell | 11 | 2 (same years) | 11 |
| Tom Heinsohn | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| K.C. Jones | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| Steve Kerr | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| Pat Riley | 1 | 5 | 6 |
Player and head coach titles only. Assistant and executive rings are not counted. Phil Jackson has 11 as a head coach plus his playing titles, so his total is higher than Kerr’s. Data as of October 2026.
Pat Riley also has 9 if his assistant coach ring and two executive rings are counted. Kerr has no executive ring. He was Suns president of basketball operations and general manager from 2007 to 2010, and the Suns won no title.
As a player, Kerr’s five equal Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Derek Fisher. Michael Jordan has six and Robert Horry has seven. See how many rings Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry have.
Bill Russell leads everyone with 11. See how many rings Bill Russell has. The full ranking is on most rings in NBA history.
The coaches are on NBA coaches with the most rings, and every champion by team is on NBA championships by team. More counts are on our NBA hub.
Rings next to Kerr’s other honors
| Honor | Count | Details |
|---|---|---|
| NBA championships | 9 | 5 as a player, 4 as a head coach |
| NBA Finals | 11 | 9-2: 5-0 as a player, 4-2 as a coach |
| Coach of the Year | 1 | 2015-16, when the Warriors went 73-9 |
| Career three point percentage | .454 | NBA record: 726 made on 1,599 tries, minimum 250 made |
| Olympic gold medal as head coach | 1 | Paris 2024: USA 98, France 87 on Aug 10, 2024 |
| Head coach record, regular season | 604-353 | .631 in 957 games through 2025-26 |
| Head coach record, playoffs | 104-48 | .684 in 152 games through 2025-26 |
| Executive titles | 0 | Suns president of basketball operations and general manager, 2007 to 2010 |
Data as of October 2026.
Where Kerr’s count stands for 2026-27
Kerr signed a new two year deal with the Warriors in May 2026. Golden State went 37-45 last season and missed the playoffs. Opening night is October 20, 2026.
His total stays at 9 until the Warriors win another title. Their last one was in 2022.
Compare Kerr with
Steve Kerr rings FAQ
How many championships has Steve Kerr won?
Nine: five as a player and four as a head coach. He won with the Bulls in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and the Spurs in 1999 and 2003. He won with the Warriors as coach in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.
How many rings does Steve Kerr have as a coach?
Four, all with the Golden State Warriors, in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. He is one of six coaches with four or more titles. The others are Phil Jackson with 11, Red Auerbach with 9, and John Kundla, Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich with 5.
Did Steve Kerr win rings with Michael Jordan?
Yes, three: 1996, 1997 and 1998 with the Bulls. Kerr came off the bench. In Game 6 of the 1997 Finals, Jordan passed to him. His 17 foot jumper with 5 seconds left led to a 90-86 win.
Does the 2017 title count for Steve Kerr?
Yes. Kerr missed 11 playoff games and Mike Brown coached them. The Warriors won all 11. The NBA credits all 17 playoff games to Kerr, 16-1. Kerr returned for Game 2 of the Finals.
Has Steve Kerr ever lost an NBA Finals?
Not as a player: he went 5-0. As a head coach he lost two. In 2016 Cleveland won 4-3 after trailing 3-1. In 2019 Toronto won 4-2. Across both roles he is 9-2 in 11 Finals.
Sources
- Basketball-Reference: Steve Kerr player page, Steve Kerr coach page, team pages for the Bulls, Spurs and Warriors, and Finals box scores
- NBA.com: Kerr contract story (AP, May 12, 2026), the list of coaches with multiple championships, and the NBA clarification on coaching records (December 1, 2015)
- Land of Basketball and StatMuse: Finals series pages, box scores and Kerr’s Finals stat lines
- AP and ESPN: 2026 contract reports (May 9 and May 12, 2026), Finals reports for the 1997, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022 clinchers, and the 2017 and 2022 reports on Mike Brown coaching in Kerr’s place
- Britannica: Steve Kerr biography (birth, playing career, titles)
- Steve Kerr featured photo: Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Last verified: October 8, 2026.
