Steve Kerr and Kris Brown on Leadership, Purpose, and Innovation in Sport and Society
Possible
Public Pressure Overcomes Political Dysfunction
Steve argues public opinion must push elected officials, emphasizing common ground and protecting children without taking away guns.
What does it take to turn tragedy into advocacy, and advocacy into lasting change? This week, Reid and Aria are talking to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Kris Brown, president of Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization. Together, they explore how sports, storytelling, and civic engagement can move the needle on one of America’s most polarizing issues: guns.
In the first part of this episode, Steve and Kris share the personal and political roots of their partnership. They also dive into the movement for safer gun storage, smart firearm technology, and the bipartisan momentum that’s possible when we lead with empathy over fear.
In the second part, the conversation turns to the future of basketball and leadership. Steve reflects on lessons from Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich, the power of authenticity and collaboration, and how AI, analytics, and even robotics are reshaping the NBA.
For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/
Topics:
01:14 - Hellos and intros
03:28 - Collaboration is the cornerstone of Steve’s leadership philosophy
04:22 - Imposter syndrome, playing under Phil Jackson and Greg Popovich, and coaching Draymond Green
06:02 - Steve’s personal experience with gun violence and using his platform to drive change
07:17 - Lessons Kris learned from working on the Brady Bill
10:43 - Gemini explains the landmark Brady Bill and how it passed
11:48 - Origins of Steve and Brady’s partnership
16:55 - Building bipartisan support for gun violence prevention, like the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
21:21 - Smart gun technology, gun safes, and other technological solutions
25:27 - “Shut up and dribble” comment and the pushback athletes receive when they speak up
27:29 - Social media as a tool to create cultural change
29:39 - Kris answers the last rapid-fire question and says her goodbyes
32:33 - Midroll
32:38 - Steve digs deeper into Phil Jackson and Greg Popovich’s coaching styles
34:40 - Inspiration v. comparison
35:22 - Hiring staff who bring specific strengths helps form a stronger team
36:21 - Endgame instincts as a coach
39:37 - Helping players navigate modern-age attention and public opinions on social media
42:01 - Internal leadership from players is crucial and Steph Curry as an example
44:33 - How NBA analytics have evolved
46:52 - The Warriors are planning to implement AI-powered robots into their training
47:56 - Players wear monitors that analyze their performance data
49:17 - Discoveries from players’ performance data
50:46 - Analyzing game footage with AI, facial recognition technology, and learning that Steph Curry logs the most miles ran per game in the league
52:56 - Using game footage data to learn opponents’ patterns and build game plans
54:05 - Correlating physical condition and shot success percentage for each player
56:19 - Rapid-fire questions
Select mentions:
Phil Jackson
Greg Popovich
Uvalde school shooting
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
Maxwell Frost
Matthew McConaughey
Dan Grunfeld
Lopez Twins
Maverick: More than a Game by Phil Jackson and Charley Rosen
Daryl Morey
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.
The AI-powered Podcast Player
