Steve Kerr and Bruce Fraser were chickening out. Terrified of Lute Olson.

They’d incurred his wrath before. In 1985, the Wildcats played a few European exhibition games and, in France, Kerr and Fraser were roommates in the team hotel. One night, they were still awake well past curfew and making too much noise. Way too loud for Olson.

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“He stormed into our room and he basically went nuts,” Fraser said.

What if he went nuts on them just for asking to move off campus? They couldn’t be sure, even though they qualified for Olson’s exception.

The rule was that all players had to live in the same dorm. When Olson took over the program in 1983, the Wildcats were coming off a 4-24 season, the worst in school history, and desperately in need of structure and discipline. So one of the first changes he made was funneling all of his players to Babcock Hall on the northeast side of campus near Speedway Blvd. and Campbell Ave.

There was one exception: Upperclassmen with a certain GPA were allowed to move off campus.

Kerr and Fraser, inseparable teammates, fit the requirements. They were going to be the first players to take advantage of Olson’s exception. First, though, they had to get Olson’s approval.

Fraser still remembers the nerve-wracking encounter in Olson’s office. Their sweaty palms and blank faces, trying to hide their fear. Olson was somewhat unpredictable, so they really didn’t know what to expect. Behind the scenes, he was charismatic with a great sense of humor. But when it came to business, he was stoic and strict. Fraser described Olson as an intimidating figure who often kept his players at a distance.

Plus, maybe their history would make Olson decline their request. Kerr and Fraser, on more than one occasion over the years, had to get their behavior checked by Olson.

Their nervousness, however, was ultimately misplaced. In hindsight, it was silly. They had nothing to fear. Olson stuck to his word and gave his blessing. The two moved off campus to University Heights. Back then, the property was brand new, complete with a pool. It was considered a “hot spot” for students, perfect for partying. But Olson trusted them. They knew they had to honor that trust by remaining disciplined and avoid the temptations.

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“He wanted to have that level of respect,” Fraser said. “He wasn’t going to accept anything other than the best.”

Kerr and Fraser are still together, more than 35 years later. They’ve won three NBA titles together with the Golden State Warriors, with Kerr the head coach and Fraser his assistant. The bond they built at Arizona, during their time together from 1984-87 still endures.

They were part of the beginning. They helped forge Olson’s first winning season, his first NCAA Tournament bid. They were the seeds that sprouted and produced the college basketball power Arizona is today, the workers who crafted the foundation of the Wildcats’ success.

The bond between Kerr and Fraser is an ornament of the legacy Olson established and left behind in Tuscon.

“Lute built a foundation from nothing,” Kerr said. “When he got to Arizona, he cleaned house. He really started from scratch. He built a family.”

Kerr averaged 7.1 points as a freshman guard in Olson’s first season. The Wildcats finished 11-17 in the 1983-84 season, led by forwards Pete Williams and Eddie Smith.

Fraser joined the team in 1984 after a year at Long Beach City College. His father, Bill, took over the LBCC program after Olson left it in 1973. Fraser played sparingly in the 1984-85 season. But Kerr’s minutes jumped to 33.4 per game as Olson registered his first 20-win season, Arizona’s first as a member of the Pac-12 conference (then Pac-10).

Kerr and Fraser hit it off from the moment they met in 1984. They had a lot in common, so the relationship grew organically. Both hailed from Southern California, with Kerr attending high school in Pacific Palisades, Fraser in Long Beach. Both had strong basketball backgrounds and were familiar with the hoops scene in the area. They both liked conversation and could venture into topics beyond sports. They both believed in working hard but also having fun, dedicating themselves to sports but caring just as much about people.

As their relationship evolved, it was rare to see one without the other.

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It was Kerr who gave Fraser the nickname “Question Man” or “Q” because he asked so many questions during their first week together.

“They were best friends back then and have been best friends since,” said Olson, who responded through a team liaison.

Under Olson, Kerr and Fraser had vastly different roles. Fraser was a seldom-used reserve point guard, but a fan favorite. Fraser knew his role and thrived in it. He called himself “Gumby” because of how stiff he’d be when he eventually got in the game, and kept a three-inch Gumby figurine in his sock for good luck. Kerr emerged as the team’s star guard. By his junior season, he and freshman forward Sean Elliott were the team’s best players.

Both were a part of Arizona’s magical Final Four run during the 1987–88 season, but contributed in different ways.

Arizona was coming off an 18-12 season and had lost in the first round of Olson’s first three tournament appearances. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Wildcats went 35-3, 17-1 in conference play. Kerr, of course, was the team’s reliable sharpshooter. Fraser, having already graduated, served as Olson’s assistant.

For Kerr, the most memorable part of that Final Four run were the first four games. They beat Cornell, Seton Hall, Iowa and North Carolina by an average of 26.8 points per game. The closest of those games was 18 points against the Tar Heels in the Elite Eight.

“In that last minute,” Kerr said of the win over North Carolina, “soaking it all up in the dome in Seattle, seeing our fans there and knowing it was the first Final Four trip in school history, recognizing what we had accomplished. Checking out of the game and hugging my teammates was just an incredible moment.”

Kerr has tried to forget what happened next.

In Arizona’s national semifinal game against Oklahoma, Kerr struggled. He was 2-for-12 from 3, finishing with six points and five assists. Oklahoma got up big early and survived a late surge from Arizona, which was led by Elliott’s 31 points and 11 rebounds. The Wildcats lost 86-78.

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When reflecting on Arizona’s Final Four run, Fraser said he couldn’t single out a specific moment that he appreciated above others. Watching as a coach from the sidelines, his perspective was a little different. What made Fraser proudest was watching the program’s growth over the years, and its rise from irrelevance to national prominence. The relationships built among teammates over time and the beauty when it all came together.

“The trophies and the rings were nice, that’s one of the reasons you play,” Fraser said. “But the friendships, the knowledge and the relationships — that was the most rewarding thing from that experience.”

After Arizona, Kerr and Fraser went their separate ways but stayed in touch. Kerr played in the NBA from 1988 to 2003 winning five championships, three with Chicago and two with San Antonio. He famously hit the game-winning jumper in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals, clinching the Bulls’ title on the assist from Michael Jordan.

Fraser left basketball and spent three years working in sound and music for 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles. He returned to the game in 1994. He was visiting Elliott, who introduced him to then-Pacers head coach and future Hall of Famer Larry Brown. Fraser then accepted a volunteer gig as an assistant for the 1994-95 season. He spent three years after that as a sports marketing manager for Oakley, managing clients such as Jordan and Alonzo Mourning. He got back into coaching when he joined Missouri’s staff as an assistant in 1999.

When Kerr joined the Suns as a minority owner and consultant in 2004, Fraser told him he’d be interested in an opportunity with the team if one ever presented itself. Kerr brought him on as a scout. In 2007, when Kerr was hired as the Suns’ general manager, Fraser wound up becoming the personal coach for MVP point guard Steve Nash. Fraser trained Nash and established himself as a guru at working out players and maxing out their talents. That would come in handy for Kerr’s next gig.

In 2014, the Warriors hired Kerr as their head coach. He brought Fraser along as a player development coach.

“I knew I wanted to hire him as soon as I got the job,” Kerr said. “Just the experience I had with him knowing his level of knowledge, his way of teaching and being around people. He’s a really fun person to be around, everyone loves him, he has a great sense of humor and brings a lot of energy to every group of people that he’s around.”

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Fraser gained popularity as he became the workout partner for Stephen Curry, who rose to national stardom and became a two-time MVP under Kerr. When the Warriors signed Kevin Durant in 2016, Fraser added another superstar to his workload.

In their first five seasons together in Golden State, the Warriors’ record was 399-116 (including playoffs). That’s a win percentage of .775. The Warriors became the first team since Bill Russell’s Celtics to make five straight NBA Finals.

Kerr is the face and voice of the Warriors. Fraser embodies the spirit of why and how they work so well.

“He’s a catalyst to who we are as a team and our identity,” Curry said at media day in 2018 when Fraser was promoted from player development to assistant coach. “He does way more than just, quote-unquote, coach. He’s a people guy and understands the ins and outs of what makes a cohesive unit with all the different personalities you have and whatnot, and he has such great awareness and feel and touch, his communication, his timeliness and whatnot that go way beyond Xs and Os or what you see me do on the basket after practice and stuff like that. You need a guy like him that has great feel, he’s really genuine and authentic with everything that he does, and for me to have that daily interaction with him, that kind of keeps my perspective straight, as well, no matter what happens throughout the season.”

Kerr’s approach has been unique among his peers. Some of the tenets of his coaching style can be traced to Tucson, to those years at the feet of Olson.

The Warriors environment is famously loose and free. On the court, they play a style of ball movement and body movement. When Kerr first got the job with Golden State, he had a vision for what their offense would look like, but didn’t diagram it yet. Sitting at an airport bar in San Francisco with Fraser, Kerr was asked by a bartender what it would look like. According to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, Kerr then took parts of the charcuterie board he was sharing with Fraser and moved almonds and cranberries around to show how players would move.

Off the court, they are known for injecting chill vibes into their high-stakes atmosphere. Kerr regularly puts joke clips into film sessions. He encourages players to speak out and use their platforms to be a voice for their passions. Kerr believes in days off, family time and unplugging from the game as a way to stay fresh and keep perspective. He brought to Golden State a mantra, “Strength in Numbers,” that underscores the value of role players and pieces on the end of the bench.

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In Golden State, Kerr has modeled a franchise after his spirit, the same one that is kindred with Fraser.

“Our relationship is built on trust, and tenure of trust, loyalty,” Fraser said. “We think a lot alike, the way we see the game based on sort of our upbringing at Arizona and also just in general. When you have that bond, you can work together in an environment where you need a level of trust to guide you around. It’s a pretty special thing for us to share ideas and try to put it all on paper.”

The Warriors lost Durant in free agency and lost Klay Thompson to an ACL injury that knocked him out for at least nine months. Curry has been out since Oct. 30 after suffering a fracture to his left hand that required surgery and the insertion of pins. Their absence has set the Warriors on a path of development. After five years of working with a super team, they’re spending this year teaching principles and building foundations.

The core of what they’re sharing includes something they harnessed from Arizona and kept with them all these years. Now they are passing it on to the next generation of NBA players. The legacy of Olson and the Wildcats lives on through them.

“He’s given me incredible opportunities to do what I’m doing,” Fraser said of Kerr. “But he’s been exceptional to watch, how good he is every day. And I can see some Lute Olson in him, too.”

(Top photo of Steph Curry, left, with Bruce Fraser and Steve Kerr, right: Golden State Warriors via Rocky Widner / NBAE via Getty Images)