When Steve Kerr Son’s Name ‘Nick Kerr’ Meme Sounds Too Close To Taboo Slur

Steve and his wife, Margot Kerr, met in college and tied the knot while he was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They soon started a family, welcoming their son Nick, their daughter Madeleine and then their youngest, Matthew.

Nick’s early years were marked by the constant relocations that came with Steve’s NBA career.

Just three weeks after Nick was born in Ohio, Steve was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Orlando Magic.

The family stayed in Florida for about a year before Steve was traded again in 1993, this time to the Chicago Bulls.

It was in Chicago that Nick grew up and spent much of his childhood.

In a 2015 interview with WCC This Week, he recalled one of his first memories: attending his dad’s games, with one of the highlights being allowed to step onto the court during a finals match.

Steve added that Nick had been going to games since he was one year old, sitting on Margot’s lap and watching everything.

Nick Kerr’s Name Meme Is All Over Social Media And Folks Are Making Fun Of It

Nick Kerr’s name has caught some attention over the years.

People have joked that, instead of going by “Nicholas,” he’s just “Nick,” which some find amusing—especially given his dad’s prominence in basketball.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Keenan Baker (@keenanbaker)

It’s become one of those little quirks that people love to comment on, with some even saying it’s “belligerent” for Steve Kerr’s son to have such a name.

Phonetically, “Nick Kerr” sounds similar to the “n-word” when spoken quickly or casually, especially in a North American accent.

While this isn’t intentional or the actual meaning, the resemblance can be jarring to some listeners.

The “n-word” is one of the most charged, offensive slurs in English, particularly in North America, due to its history of being used to demean and oppress Black people.

A meme has circulated on social media, and people point out that if you say “Nick Kerr” quickly, it can sound like something else entirely.

When one fan saw the issue or the joke behind the meme, to them, “Nick” is just a regular name; others responded:

Steve Kerr And Nick Kerr Are More Of A Friend Than Father-Son Duo

After college, Nick transitioned from playing basketball to coaching, something he had always considered as a potential career.

Fortunately, in 2023, Nick was named head coach of the Santa Cruz Warriors following two seasons as an assistant coach.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Steve Kerr (@_stevekerr_)

Before that, he worked as a video coordinator for the Golden State Warriors for about three years, a role he credits partly to his dad’s connections.

Nick explained that the father-son duo dynamic has shifted from one of parent and child to more of a friendship.

They now share a close bond, talking to each other as equals rather than in the typical parent-child role.

Additional Information

• Nick married Kendall Kerr in September 2021, though he prefers to keep the details of his life outside of basketball private.
• Kerr graduated from Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California, in 2011. He played college basketball at the University of San Diego and the University of California.
• As a freshman during the 2011–2012 season, he appeared in 13 games for the Toreros.