Steve Kerr Revealed How The Word "Houston" Helped Him Become A Great Free Throw Shooter

Steve Kerr spoke about the magic word that helped him with his free-throw routine.

Credit: Fadeaway World

Steve Kerr is known to the modern NBA as the Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors dynasty. The team has flourished under his stewardship, they have won 4 championships in 8 seasons. But winning rings is nothing new for Kerr, he was a part of the other greatest team of an era, the 1996-98 Chicago Bulls. 

Steve Kerr's role on the Bulls was that of a role player, but he took three-point shots and made free throws with incredible accuracy back when neither was considered a huge deal. Kerr's Warriors brought the three-point revolution to the NBA, but he was himself one of the best marksmen in the league. And his ability was even respected by Michael Jordan, who gave him some passes for huge final shots in crucial playoff games.

What made Kerr so good, though? The secret to his consistency is something that a lot of NBA players today could learn from. 

---

How Steve Kerr Used The Word 'Houston' To Help Himself Make Free Throws

Steve Kerr shot above 90% from the free throw line on 6 different occasions during his career, a notable feat. He had a career average of over 86%, which is also quite good. And his process was shared in Jay Bilas' book, Toughness, the excerpts coming out in a Twitter thread that gained a fair bit of notoriety. 

"Kerr, like so many of us, struggled with confidence at points of his career. So, before each game, he’d watch tape of himself playing well for badly-needed, positive reinforcement. 'I wanted to fill my memory with good things so I could draw upon it.'

"Most players have the same routine before they shoot, but Kerr wasn’t satisfied with his deep breath and 3 dribbles. He wanted his mind 100% dialed in to what he was doing without allowing fear or the thought of a miss to creep in.

"He recalled a specific free throw he took earlier in his career against the Houston Rockets that felt better than any other. 'I shot an absolutely perfect free throw,' he said. So, he would utter 'Houston' before every attempt for the rest of his career.

"For Kerr, this was about 'tricking his mind' so it wouldn’t go to dark places where negativity took over. When these instances do occur, we may want to draw on our own 'Houston'-type buzzwords as re-affirmations of our capabilities. 'You have to overcome your own clutter.'"

This is a fantastic insight into the level of care and preparation that goes into being good at anything in the NBA. That Kerr was able to use something so simple yet effective to make himself elite is an inspiration for those that wish to use it. He has been in the biggest moments, and surely he repeats this mantra to himself even now when things seem a little bleak. 

We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.

Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.