Kerr, "Red" (John G.)
Basketball
b. Aug. 17, 1932, Chicago, IL
A 6-foot-9, 230-pound center, Kerr averaged 25.3 points a game as a senior at the University of Illinois and 18.6 points for his three-year career. He was chosen by the Syracuse Nationals in the first round of the 1954 NBA draft.
Rather than playing near the basket like most pro centers, Kerr liked to station himself near the foul line, where he could use his soft jump shot and excellent passing ability.
He helped take Syracuse to the NBA championship in his rookie season. Kerr remained with the team when it moved to Philadelphia and became known as the Warriors in 1963. He was traded to the Baltimore Bullets in 1965 and spent his final season as a player with them.
The Chicago Bulls chose Kerr in the 1966 expansion draft and he became the team's first coach. The Bulls were the first expansion team ever to go to the playoffs in its first season of existence. Kerr was named NBA coach of the year for that accomplishment.
In 1968, Kerr took over another expansion team, the Phoenix Suns. He was replaced after a 15-23 start in 1969-70. He later became a broadcaster for the Bulls and the Suns.
Kerr scored 12,480 points in 905 regular season games, a 13.8 average, and had 10,103 rebounds and 2,005 assists. He added 933 points, 827 rebounds, and 152 assists in 76 playoff games. As a coach, he had a 93-190 record.