What do you do when you are an NBA coach and you need to impart some wisdom to your players? If you’re Steve Kerr, the coach of the Golden State Warriors, you turn to the game of blackjack. Kerr used the game to teach one of his star players some important basketball concepts. Kerr had a pretty good mentor in his own playing days – the legendary Phil Jackson.

Kerr Schools Draymond Green with Blackjack

March 3, 2026 · Counting Edge Editorial

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Draymond Green is one of the more talented players coached by Steve Kerr. Green is known for sometimes being difficult to criticize. In one game Green passed up an easy dunk and chose to pass the ball off to teammate Steph Curry instead. Curry attempted a three-point shot and failed. Kerr was perturbed that Draymond Green didn’t take the guaranteed two points and opted for a more risky shot with an undetermined outcome. The next day at practice Kerr had a surprise in store for Green and the other Warriors.

Instead of their normal practice routine the team was forced to watch an instructional video on blackjack. The video stressed that players should never split tens at the blackjack table. The point is, why would you give up a hand that is almost surely a winner to take a slimmer chance at winning two hands? The success of the Golden State Warriors is proof that Kerr must be doing something right in his coaching.

His use of blackjack may seem a little unorthodox, but one need look no further than Phil Jackson for Kerr’s inspiration. During his Hall of Fame career Jackson became known for thinking outside of the box when it came to basketball coaching. Jackson won multiple championships with Kerr as one of his players with the Chicago Bulls.

What Can Blackjack Teach You?

Blackjack holds many lessons that can be applied to sports. It also can teach lessons that are applied to all parts of life. One of the most important of these is discipline. This is what Kerr was trying to demonstrate to Draymond Green. Discipline in life is what prevents us from making rash decisions. It is what will drive us to exercise and eat right when we need to lose weight. It will help us make better investments by taking measured risks. Discipline keeps us on a straight and narrow path of success. The blackjack player must also have discipline. He or she must know when the odds are favorable and when they are not. The player must have enough discipline to walk away from a blackjack session with a profit. Another life lesson from blackjack is patience. All of us have goals that we want to achieve right now. Learning how to wait while we diligently pursue our goals is a key to accomplishment. Likewise, the blackjack player must learn how to be patient at the blackjack table while waiting for the count to get high. Being impatient is a sure way to lose your bankroll. Sometimes, being patient is hard. This is especially true if the player is greedy and wants a quick profit. You have probably thought about some other lessons that blackjack can teach while you were reading this article. As you contemplate these, write them down. You can reflect on them while you are playing a session of blackjack at your favorite online casino.

Why “never split tens” landed in an NBA film session

Kerr’s point was expected value: a pat 20 wins often enough that turning it into two weaker starters is needless risk—much like passing up a high-percentage dunk to hunt a lower-percentage three when the scoreboard does not demand heroics. The metaphor works because basic strategy is deliberately unemotional while arenas reward highlight plays.

Mapping blackjack discipline to other high-variance jobs

Traders, surgeons, and pilots lean on checklists to mute ego in noisy environments. Blackjack is the same: when focus slips, decisions get expensive. Coaches borrow the game because athletes already understand hits and stands even if they have never memorized a chart.

FAQs: blackjack lessons from sports

Is splitting tens ever correct?

Almost never in standard games; advanced counters may find niche exceptions, which is why Kerr used the rule as a blunt teaching tool.

Does blackjack psychology help professional athletes?

It frames patience, bankroll-style budgeting of effort, and process-over-outcome thinking—skills that help when short-term variance dominates headlines.

Where can I practice decision speed safely?

Use low-stakes or free blackjack with a chart beside you until the “obvious” play feels boring—that is when discipline has set in.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Steve Kerr use blackjack to coach Draymond Green?

He used never split tens to illustrate taking high-percentage outcomes instead of gambling for flashier lower-probability wins.

Is splitting tens ever correct in blackjack?

Rarely for most players; advanced counters may find niche exceptions, but it is a poor default.

What life skills mirror blackjack discipline?

Patience, measured risk-taking, and trusting process when short-term results swing.