Steve Kerr's been beating the odds his whole life

The transaction called for $200 million in cash and the assumption of $201 million in team debt payable over three years. Sarver and about a dozen investors (Kerr was one of them) formed Suns Legacy Partners. They would be the team's new owners, with Sarver controlling about 30 percent of the stock.

"After we first met with Jerry, Steve and I were sitting in the car in the Third Street garage," Sarver says. "I looked at him and said, 'Are we really buying a basketball team?' It was something else."

Sarver says he's learned a ton from Kerr.

"Steve taught me what it's like to be a player, the ups and downs in any season, what's it's like to be on a winning team and on a losing team, how the playoffs are different from the regular season," he says.

"In my other businesses, everyone is held accountable as a person on a quarterly and annual basis. Here, you're judged day to day, game by game, by a whole community, and that is something you have to learn how to understand and cope with. Steve has forgotten more about that kind of thing than I even knew when I got into all this."

The owner says he never had "a master plan" for Kerr to take over as general manager someday, "though we never ruled that out, either. What I needed was someone I really could trust."

Kerr's take: "I'm not a guy who looks that far into the future. About all I think long-term about is what my kids might be doing and that I definitely want to stay around basketball in some capacity."

For sure, any master plan devised by Kerr and the Suns management didn't include Shaquille O'Neal.

It's nearing the end of the Suns' convincing April 9 regular-season win at San Antonio. New Times sends a text message to Steve Kerr, who is watching the game from his home in San Diego.

"Best Shaq since he's been here," the message says. "Guess you have a job for one more day."

Kerr responds kiddingly, "I feel so smart right now. I think I could do a Rubik's cube in about five minutes. New York Times crossword? Five minutes tops."

But he knows firsthand that glory, success, and redemption are elusive, in the NBA or anywhere else.

"Life is a journey and things can change so quickly," Kerr said over breakfast shortly after the Shaq trade. "You can't look too far ahead. You just have to enjoy the ride, wherever it goes. But, man, it's a lot easier enjoying it when we win!"