Anyone who watched Steve Kerr during his time at Arizona or during his 15-year NBA career saw that he made three-point shooting look maddeningly easy.
The five-time NBA champion connected on about 45.4 percent of his three-point attempts, making him the most accurate shooter in league history.
So how did Kerr do it? His method was simple: Tons of reps.
"Just a whole lot of extra shooting beyond what you did in practice," Kerr told ThePostGame. "Before practice, after practice. Whether it was in season or out of season."
Kerr says he was also lucky enough to work with some great coaches over his career. At Arizona he was mentored by Lute Olson, and in the NBA he played for legendary coaches Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich. That's not a bad recipe for success.
But perhaps the most important quality for someone who wants to hang around in the NBA, Kerr said, is the willingness to put in extra work. These athletes have risen to the top of their profession, and while they could coast and rely on their magnificent athleticism, the men who have the best careers know how to continually challenge themselves.
"Putting the work in every single day, being creative with the work that you’re doing," Kerr said. "Constantly trying to get better. But that's really what keeps guys around in the NBA and separates them is how hard they work and what they’re putting into it year in and year out."
Kerr has been serving on a panel which recently selected the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Allstate NABC Good Works Team. For more information about the squad and its honorees, see here.
