Basketball On The Internet.

I can’t remember who asked the question. It might have been me. It may have been Grantley Bernard. Or Stephen Howell. Or maybe even Kevin Diggerson.

But the second Steve Kerr heard the accent of the inquirer, his face lit up.

“You guys from Australia?”

We nodded, pleased and suddenly unabashedly proud of our heritage, while the momentarily shunned gaggle of foreign media looked us over suspiciously.

It was 1999 and a press conference in Milan, Italy, promoting the (then) biennial McDonald’s World Club Championship at which the Adelaide 36ers, as reigning NBL champs, were representing Australia.

This was the press conference every one had been waiting for though, the one with the reigning NBA champion San Antonio Spurs – with all due respect to the 36ers, and Vasca da Gama (the Brazilian team, NOT the explorer).

Tables had been set up around the conference room and this presser was more like what I imagine speed dating to be like.

At each table, sat a Spurs star – men such as David Robinson, a young Tim Duncan, gregarious Avery Johnson, and 3-point specialist Steve Kerr among them.

Journalists from around the world would cluster around each table and, when the allotted time was reached, rotate to another table to quiz a different Spurs superstar.

Kerr was simply the easiest guy to talk with and once he recognised a bunch of us as “Oss-seize” it got better.

“Do you guys know Andrew Gaze?” he asked of his former Spurs teammate.

Gaze’s role in the Spurs NBA championship may have been minimal – he wasn’t even suited for the Finals – but he still was a piece of the puzzle and had bonded with Kerr.

EASY TO LIKE: Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

“We used to play for the America’s Cup,” Kerr told us, smiling as he recalled their regular 'America versus Australia' shooting contests after practices.

It was impossible not to like Kerr. For starters, he was as much like an Aussie as any American I’d encountered.

He was smart, he was worldly, had a self-deprecating sense of humour and didn’t take himself too seriously.

When this week in his rookie season as a coach, let alone an NBA head coach, Kerr added a further accolade to his imposing list of achievements in the sport by leading Golden State to its first championship in 40 years, he gave away a secret to his success.

Family.

Yes, he spoke about the profound impact his coaches such as Lute Olson, Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich had made on him and later, it also came out Kerr had returned the element of fun to his new club’s program.

Why he didn’t take up Jackson’s offer to join him in trying to return the New York Knicks franchise to some semblance of past prestige though was telling.

Kerr’s daughter Maddy plays volleyball at Cal and two of his three kids are in college in California.

He likes to stay close, while he can.

As an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Arizona, a boy a long way from his family, he had to deal with the news his father Malcolm had been assassinated in Lebanon.

Malcolm was less than 18 months into his “dream job” as president of American University in Beirut when he was shot twice in the head by gunmen from Hezbollah, the Iranian-funded Islamic organisation in Lebanon.

Malcolm Kerr’s driving ambition was to bring understanding and acceptance between Muslims, Christians and Israelis.

“Dr Kerr’s untimely and tragic death at the hands of these despicable assassins must strengthen our resolve not to give in to the acts of terrorists. Terrorism must not be allowed to take control of the lives, actions, or future of ourselves and our friends,” President Ronald Reagan said at the time.

Steve Kerr found solace in his “family” among the Arizona Wildcats, immersing himself in practice instead of flying to Beirut for funeral services.

In the next game against Arizona State, he nailed 5-of-7 shots in a 71-49 win.

Four years later, Arizona State fans resorted to despicable chants to try and put off their nemesis during the warmups - “Go back to Beirut,” “Where’s your dad?” ... and worse, among them.

A rightfully though rarely enraged Kerr responded with six 3-pointers in a 20-point first half, leading a rousing a 101-73 massacre.

This unathletic kid with the terrific shot channelled his focus into an NBA career which spanned 15 seasons, five championships, three with Chicago Bulls, two with San Antonio Spurs, and included every player’s dream; a match/championship-winning basket.

Michael Jordan told him he would be passing Kerr the ball for the last shot of the decisive Game 6 in the 1997 finals and he knew what to do when he received it, just as John Paxson had known in the Bulls’ previous three-championship streak.

As a rookie coach, Kerr spoke at length with his main players, flew to Australia to chat with Andrew Bogut, sat down Andre Iguodala and told him he would not be starting because that was what was best for the team – for this family.

The players bought in. Now everyone is celebrating the wisdom of doing that.

Kerr’s 45.4 percent career shooting from beyond the 3-point line still is the best in NBA history, making his post-game shooting contests with Stephen Curry more than just entertaining.

They may quite not be the America’s Cup, but they're fun. And where better to have fun than with your family?