UA Sports

Text of Steve Kerr's May 15, 2004, UA commencement speech

Thank-you. . . You know, when I was in my fourth season in the NBA, I played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and thanks to an injury suffered by a teammate, I was forced into the starting lineup for a game in Chicago. Lenny Wilkens, my coach, told me before the game, "You're guarding Michael Jordan." Until today, that was the most nervous I'd ever been in my life. I knew I didn't belong on the floor with the greatest player of all time, and today I'm wondering if I should be here in McKale Center giving the commencement address to 5,000 distinguished University of Arizona graduates. That game did not go well. The Bulls beat us by 30, and I scored two points. Michael had 48. I can only hope today goes a little better. First of all, I want to say congratulations to the graduates. What a wonderful achievement this is for all of you, and I commend you and welcome your families and friends who share in your celebration today. I'd also like to thank Dr. Likins and the student body council for presenting me with this opportunity. It's certainly one that I never could have imagined, and if you'd seen my first semester grades back in 1983, I'm sure you wouldn't have either. But I'm so proud to be here, delivering the commencement address at my alma mater. It's obviously a special day for all of you, and it's very special for me too. Many of you may know the story, but Dr. Likins called me back in November and asked if I would give the commencement speech, and despite a few pangs of anxiety, I accepted his offer. But three weeks later, he called back and said, "I'm terribly embarrassed about this, but it seems that the leader of the free world has requested the opportunity to give the address, only at this point, he's not sure if he'll be available. Would you be offended if we put you on hold until we get a definitive answer from him? To which I responded, "Dr. Likins, whatever Lute Olson wants to do is fine with me!" As it turned out, George Bush decided not to show up - probably intimidated by the competition - I would guess. So for the past month, I've been doing research in preparation for this speech, feeling unworthy compared to the dignitaries around the country giving similar addresses. I did feel more qualified, however, when I read in the New York Times recently that Kermit the Frog actually gave the commencement address Southampton College of Long Island University 8 years ago. Apparently after Kermit's speech one of the graduates said, "I've been laboring here for five years and now we have a SOCK talking at our commencement." Well graduates, you've been laboring here all these years and now you have a JOCK speaking at yours. At the very least I hope to be more entertaining than the sock, if not quite as insightful. But as I prepared for this speech, I asked around for help from people I admire and respect, and it was Dr. Likins who gave me the best advice. He told me three things: Be yourself, tell your story, and keep it under ten minutes. So in an effort to avoid flying tortillas, and out of respect for your desire to begin celebrating this event with your families and friends, I will be myself, I'll tell my story, and I'll be out of here before you know it. I've been incredibly blessed in my life in terms of opportunity. I was lucky to grow up in a wonderful family. I was fortunate to be offered a scholarship to play basketball here in Arizona and to play professionally with people like Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan. I was blessed to play for championship teams and great coaches. Certainly there are plenty of people out there who are more talented than me, but who never were "in the right place at the right time" as I was. But I owe any success that I've had in my life not just to opportunities, but to the people who prepared me to meet them and to make the most of them. And I think it's important to remember how lucky you've been to have this university education, and to have families, coaches, professors and friends who've supported you a long way. I spent a childhood traveling the world with my family. My father was a political science professor and he would take occasional sabbaticals to universities in the Middle East and in Europe. My parents would pack up the kids - I have three siblings - and we'd live overseas for a year, which taught us to be open minded and accepting of other cultures. We met and went to school with kids of all over the world. I remember living in Cairo, Egypt, and driving across the border to Israel with my family where we stayed with Palestinian friends one night and Israelis the next. It seemed that everywhere we went Americans were loved for our freedom and for representing hope and optimism. And I learned that people everywhere are basically the same and have similar goals that we do. They want health and happiness and the opportunity to provide for their families. My parents literally showed me a whole world that existed beyond typical American culture. They gave me an education in understanding people; in being compassionate and respectful. They taught me that though people may speak or dress differently, or have customs or beliefs that were foreign to me, it was important to take the time to not only understand those differences, but to embrace them as well. That came in handy years later when Dennis Rodman became my teammate with the Bulls. In a lot of ways, Lute Olson provided me with the same lessons. When I arrived here on campus in 1983, I was lucky to be a part of the university's first basketball team to be coached by Lute. (By the way, graduates, you can all call him "Lute" now. As undergraduates it had to be "Coach Olson," now it can be "Lute" or whatever you want. I know I called him something else after the Seton Hall game last season, but that's another story.) You young graduates probably wouldn't believe it, going to school here during Golden Age of Arizona basketball, but the Wildcats at the time were one of the worst teams in the country. We were basically devoid of talent. But while we were small and un-athletic, we made up for it by being very slow. I'll never forget the first day of practice, which consisted of 3 1/2 hours of sprints, defensive drills and basic hell. Lute had just come from the University of Iowa, where he coached talented teams that routinely made the NCAA tournament, and he had an unmistakable look on his face that day that said, "What the hell have I just gotten myself into?" (Actually being coach O, he probably thought to himself " What the HECK have I just gotten myself into?") And as he looked disgustedly at this motley crew in front of him, practically collapsing from exhaustion, he said, "Well I've never seen a more poorly conditioned team in 25 years of coaching." But while we may not have been the most gifted group of athletes, we had a good bunch of guys. And one of the great things about playing on that team - and playing sports in general - was the opportunity for kids of varying backgrounds and ethnicities to work and play together. A few weeks ago America noted the 50th anniversary of Brown versus the Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruling that made segregation in schools illegal. But despite the amazing diversity we're blessed with in this country, schools are still in large part segregated because of economic disparity. Sports are one of the few areas where kids are really given the opportunity to interact with those of different races and religions. Basketball has given me the chance over the years to build relationships with people from all over the world and all different backgrounds. At Arizona I played on a team with white and black kids from around the United States. In the NBA, I had teammates from Australia, Croatia, Argentina, China and France. And when you play on a basketball team together, you get to know each other so well that language barriers and cultural differences quickly vanish. Ultimately, being a part of a team means competing, working, living and winning and losing together. And in the end, a teammate's nationality, his language, his taste in music or his religion aren't sources of division, but in fact mediums of greater friendship, understanding and success. These days, there can be more important lesson. We're in an age of severe cultural and religious differences around the world. We are in desperate need of cultural exchange and understanding. People everywhere have learned that lesson in tragic ways, losing loved ones to terrorism or to war. My family experienced that agony when I was a freshman here at the U of A. My father, Malcolm Kerr, who was the president of the American University in Beirut, was killed by extremist assassins who were angry at our country's military presence in Lebanon. That was 20 years ago, and as I read daily about the deaths of our brave serviceman and poor Iraqi civilians, about terrorism, about religious extremists and war mongering politicians, I can't help but think how sad it is that cultural and political relations have gotten even worse in the 20 years since my Dad was killed. There aren't many signs these days that we'll enjoy world peace any time soon, and I'm not naïve enough to think that there are simple answers. But I do believe that one way to bring cultures together, to develop trust between people and countries and religions, is through education. And through music and art and basketball and activities and joys that people share worldwide, regardless of ethnic background or religious orientation. And that's why this graduation ceremony is so important today. You people have earned an education over the past 4 years (or maybe 5 or 6, for some of you.) You've been taught not what to think, but how to think. You've experienced life on a campus that has racial, ethnic and religious diversity. You've learned skills and ideas and trades that are not only important to the future of American society, but to making the world a better place. Whether you studied law or medicine or engineering or music - or basketball like I did - your education will allow you to influence people and events in positive ways. And everyone one of you will have opportunities and challenges ahead that will require the use of what you've learned here. I would advise you to meet those opportunities with an open mind, with passion and with the knowledge you've gained through your education. Now, I'm sure a lot you are saying to yourselves, "Yeah, whatever - I just hope I can find a job somewhere." And that's right, of course - that's the next step: you need to find a career and create a life for yourself. That's why I highly encourage all of you to play in the NBA - it's a great life. But I think it's imperative to follow your heart and choose a profession you're passionate about, and if you haven't found that "spark" yet, if you're not sure what you want to do with your lives - be persistent until you do. I always loved basketball and I never dreamt that I'd play in the NBA. But I worked as hard as I could at it because I enjoyed it so much, and I ended up making a career out of it. And what I realize now, at the age of 38, is that what was truly important about the sport for me was not the championship rings - although those are nice - but the relationships I built and the career I carved out that carried me through difficult times and helped me find my way in life. When my Dad died, I was 18, my family lived halfway around the world. But my teammates here at the U of A became my second family, and playing basketball became my therapy. I clung to friendships that I made on the team and threw myself into being the best player that I could, and as a result I not only survived a very difficult time in my life, but I flourished. And thanks to Lute Olson, and Sean Elliott and the rest of my teammates, I played on an Arizona team that made it to the Final Four in 1988 for the first time in the school's history. But even more importantly, I made a diverse group of friends that I will cherish for life. Never forget that the education you've received here at the University of Arizona is a privilege. And along with that privilege comes responsibility: responsibility to yourself and to your family to make the most of your education. Responsibility to be a contributor and as asset to your community. And responsibility to the world to be open-minded and compassionate. And never forget that as you build your lives and your careers, it's the friendships you make along the way that will both define you and help you through difficult times. Congratulations, graduates. And, go Wildcats!