Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr was skewered by President Donald Trump over his limited comments on the NBA-China situation. Following the Warriors’ preseason win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, Kerr was asked again about why he chooses to be vocal on gun control but not the discord between the NBA and China.
As he suggested in his original comments, Kerr believes in speaking on issues he knows well and prefers to skip those he doesn’t. With the situation between the NBA and the Chinese government still very delicate, Kerr — whether people agree with his stance or not — is avoiding making a bad situation worse.
Kerr emphasized the point: not only does he not speak on China, he also doesn’t wade into U.S. relations with North Korea or the brewing scandal between Trump and Ukraine because he admittedly has limited knowledge on those situations.
“[W]e’re fortunate in this country to have free speech,” Kerr said, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “I exercise that. But part of having free speech is also electing not to speak if you don’t feel comfortable about something.”
As to why he is a vocal advocate in support of gun control, Kerr made a pointed, yet heartfelt statement about the devastation caused by gun violence:
I work really, really hard on a lot of things off the floor. One of those things is I don’t want people to feel what my family felt when my father was killed. I know what it feels like to have a family member ended by a bullet. So that’s a passionate, passionate subject for me. So, I research it, I’m involved with various organizations, I’m constantly meeting with people, fundraising. It’s part of my life.
From a broader level, Kerr wants to be a good citizen. “I will speak on things I’m comfortable with,” he said. “I will do things I believe are helpful for my country. I love my country, despite what President Trump said [on Wednesday].
