SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr put on his ninth NBA championship ring on Tuesday night, thanks to the Warriors’ 2022 NBA title.

Only a handful of people in NBA history have more. Among them are Bill Russell (11) with the Boston Celtics and Phil Jackson (11) as a coach with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. Kerr’s success spans five decades, having won five as a player with the Bulls and San Antonio Spurs and now four as the Warriors head coach.

“Given that I normally wear all of them each day, I hope this one complements the others,” Kerr joked before the Warriors’ opening night game against Los Angeles.

No, Kerr hasn’t worn all eight rings on his hands just to admire them. Maybe with a ninth one — with one finger left to hold another — he’ll put them all on and take in what he’s accomplished. Most of his rings are in a safety deposit box, he said. Some are at home. If he doesn’t put them all on, he’ll at least get those rings together to look at them.

“It sounds kind of arrogant, I guess, but I need to,” Kerr said.

The Warriors enter Tuesday’s ring night as the comeback kids, of sorts. After two down years amid the pandemic, Steph Curry led Golden State’s charge back to the mountaintop.

“I’ve never had a bad ring night. I’m really excited for tonight,” Kerr said. “Excited for our fans, our players, our whole organization. It’s such a great celebration of something that’s hard to accomplish. It’s important that we recognize the accomplishment, hang the banner, hand out the rings and it’s officially time to move onto the season.”

Ring night this year begins Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala’s quest to win a fifth title together. It begins a journey to do so with a younger team than they’ve had in previous contending years.

“Coming off of where we were the previous two seasons, I really do feel like we won the title last year not in spite of the previous two years, but in many ways because of the previous two years,” Kerr said.

“You just go play. There isn’t a whole lot I can say as far as before we head out it’ll be fun and emotional. A loss won’t take away from the achievement, but it would be more fun if we go ahead and win the game. That’s the intention, but regardless we have 81 left after this and we’ll move forward.”

But before the Warriors’ opening night game against the Lakers, Kerr briefly paused to reflect.

“When I think about it, it’s more just how surreal it feels than anything,” Kerr said. “When I was drafted in 1988, I was just hoping to make the team in Phoenix and maybe make it in the league for a couple years. The journey I’ve been on has been far fetched and unlikely. I think incredibly fortuitous in terms of the people that have affected me and influenced me in the game. Being able to play with (Michael) Jordan, (Tim) Duncan, to be coached by Phil (Jackson), Pop (Gregg Popovich) and Lenny Wilkens, Lute Olson. It’s like I’m going to wake up and it’s not going to be real. Try to remind myself to keep enjoying every second.”

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