Answer: No
Disclaimer: It is not our role to determine whether or not somebody is a Christian. We just use our discernment based on the evidence we have found on the internet to come to a likely or best-guess answer. Our answers do not actually determine who is or is not a Christian and it is ultimately between the person and God. Not us.
Most members of the Golden State Warriors basketball team, especially the players have been described as strong Christians. Gospel Herald labeled the team “God’s Team” in 2017 after winning four out of five games to get to the NBA finals. World Religion News described them as “the NBA’s men of God.”
Stephen Douglas Kerr, best known as Steve Kerr is the head coach of the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a former basketball player for; San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Phoenix Suns.
Kerr has won multiple awards as a player and as a coach. He was recognized as the only NBA player to have four straight NBA Titles after 1969, he has the highest career three-point field goal percentage (45.4%) in NBA’s history and he held the record for the highest three-point percentage in a season at 52.4, before the record was broken by Kyle Kover in 2010.
Steve Kerr has been successful both as a player and as a coach. The Lebanese is a 5-time NBA Champion as a player and four times as a coach, the NBA three-point contest champion, NBA coach of the year, and has been recognized as one of the top 15 coaches in NBA history.
Steve Kerr has not revealed so much about his faith and some people wonder if the coach is a Christian because he has made some related comments and he coaches a team full of Christians. This article will answer the lingering question: Is Steve Kerr a Christian?
Is Steve Kerr Religious?
Kerr has not been very vocal about his religion and other personal issues. He rarely talks about it and in the few times he did, he revealed that he is not an overtly religious person.
In a 2017 report by San Francisco Chronicle, Kerr said:
“I’m not an overly religious person, I’m a spiritual person, and holidays are a great time to reflect and remind each other that regardless of race, color, creed, gender, political preference, or religious preference, it’s important for everybody to just try to bring some joy to the world, extend some goodwill, and today’s a good reminder of that. We’re playing a game today, a great competition, and our fans are going to be excited. We’re so lucky to be in this building and live the lives that we do, and today’s a good day to extend a hand and help somebody out there. Thanks.”
In 2018, New York Times reported that Steve Kerr replaced Mark Jackson who was more vocal about his religion as head coach of the Golden State Warriors. The report included that Kerr wasn’t so vocal about matters of religion but he advised the team to embrace individuality and community and promote an environment where individuals can express themselves while respecting other people’s views and opinions. He also advised that though it is not an easy thing to do, the players should tolerate each other and celebrate diversity.
In 2022, while watching Klay Thompson hit some shots, Kerr who was his coach likened the situation to a “religious” experience, but we do not understand exactly what the Golden State Warriors coach meant by that.
Does Steve Kerr believe in God?
Most members of the Golden State Warriors are believers and have clearly expressed their beliefs in God. The team’s coach, Steve Kerr is one of those that have not been so vocal about faith and religious matters.
Team members have talked about their belief in God on different occasions. A team member, Andre Iguodala told Christian Today in 2015, “We got a team full of believers, we all go to chapel before every game. We all believe and we all say God has a way for you, a purpose for you. This is my purpose.”
Draymond Green who disclosed that he is a Christian and believes in God said in an interview uploaded on Youtube;
“I may lose a friend or two, but I will never lose my faith. One day this world is going to end, and I want my Lord and Savior to know that no matter what, ‘I can’t lose You because if I lose You, where am I going?”
Stephen Curry is another member of the team that believes in God and is a very outspoken Christian. He is reported to have been raised in a Christian home that held devotionals daily. Curry revealed that most of his teammates attended the team’s Bible study. Shaun Livingstone mentioned that he is a Lutheran while Klay Thompson is a Catholic.
Is Steve Kerr a Christian?
The disciples of Jesus Christ were described as the first Christians because they were followers of Jesus Christ and their behaviors were Christ-like.
According to Acts 11:26, “For a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”
A True Christian puts his faith and trust in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross and they portray qualities like; patience, forgiveness, love, compassion, care, and love for the needy.
Jesus directed in John 13:34 that Christians who are also the disciples of Jesus should love one another. He said: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
Steve Kerr’s basketball team, The Golden State Warriors is a team full of believers and Christians that attend church frequently and have been labeled “God’s team” and the “NBA’s Men of God.”
In a 2015 interview with Christianity Today, a team member, Andre Iguodala said “We got a team full of believers. We all believe and we all say God has a way for you, a purpose for you. This is my purpose.”
There are claims that Steve Kerr’s father was assassinated by radical Muslims but when former President Trump tried banning Muslims from certain countries from entering the US, Kerr made some comments that depicted he has a forgiving and not a revengeful heart which is an important quality of a Christian.
“As someone whose family member is a victim of terrorism, having lost my father—if we’re trying to combat terrorism by banishing people from coming to this country, we’re recalling going against the principles of what this country is about and creating fear. It’s the wrong way to go about it. If anything, we could be breeding anger and terror, and so I’m completely against what’s happening. I think it’s shocking.”
On Martin Luther King Jr’s day, during Kerr’s press conference, he talked about compassion, honesty, and respect for others which are also Christian attributes. In his words:
” Respect, that’s the keyword. Sometimes we conflate one with the other, and we assume that we must either sacrifice our values or well, just act like bigots. Even in our era of deep division, we see people manifesting that sense of basic respect in beautiful ways. In Egypt, Muslims defend Christian churches, even to their death. In Texas, Christians helped rebuild an Islamic mosque after it burned down. No one’s capitulating to a religious ideology: They’re simply being decent human beings.”
Steve Kerr has not publicly shown affiliations with any religious group or admitted to being a Christian. A report by New York Times disclosed that coach Steve Kerr’s parents were Christian missionaries but he (Steve) is yet to identify with any religious group.
Is Steve Kerr Baptized?
Baptism is the identification with Christ’s death and resurrection where the old self was crucified with Christ (through the waters of death) and now followers of Jesus have risen with him in the newness of life (Romans 6:3-11). Baptism takes the form of immersion in water at infantry or as an adult.
Baptism is an important foundation of Christianity and is a public declaration of faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. Baptism means that you are now a follower of Christ because you have turned away from your old life of sins to a new life in Christ Jesus.
Steve Kerr has not disclosed if he has been baptized or not. Though his grandparents were missionaries, Kerr has not publicly admitted to being a believer in the Christian faith. There is no information on his baptism, as such we do not know if Steve Kerr is baptized or not.
What did Steve Kerr say about Jesus Christ?
Steve Kerr is not known to be vocal about his beliefs or matters of religion. Kerr has portrayed some Christian qualities like compassion, love, forgiveness, and empathy but he is yet to make a public comment about Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Steve Kerr coaches a team full of outspoken Christians but he is yet to make revelations on his religious stance. He has not mentioned if he is a Christian or not and there is no solid evidence to prove he is. As a result, we do not consider Steve Kerr a Christian. However, the coach upholds some Christian attributes like; respect, love, empathy, and compassion.
Think we were wrong? Write your reasoning in the comments and prove us wrong!