Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Under Fire for Dodging on NBA-China Controversy: ‘Mealy Mouthed and Weak’
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is under fire after he avoided commenting on the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
The civil unrest in China’s semi-autonomous city first impacted the NBA after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s tweeted over the weekend, “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong” — a comment that the Chinese government took offense to and responded by blocking NBA preseason games from being televised in the country, which is an extremely popular market for league. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has since released a statement saying that “it is not the role of the NBA to adjudicate those differences,” but he added the league “will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say.”
When asked about his stance on the controversy on Monday night, Kerr described the protests as a “really bizarre international story” that he doesn’t “know what to make of.”
While the Golden State Warriors coach typically speaks out on domestic issues like the Trump administration and gun control, he explained his deviation from taking a public stance on the Hong Kong protest, saying, “I’ve found is that it’s easy to speak on issues that I’m passionate about and that I feel like I’m well-versed on and I’ve found that it makes the most sense to stick to topics that fall in that category.”
“I’m just trying to learn just like everybody else,” Kerr added.
While some defended Kerr’s decision to avoid discussing issues he is not knowledgable on, others figures quickly rebuked his silence and suggested that he is hypocritical for frequently criticizing President Donald Trump but declining to comment on political matters that could impact the NBA’s bottomline.
Check out some of the reaction below:
.@SteveKerr, who owes everything to American sports fans, would sooner defend the Chinese Communist Party than visit the White House.
Outrageous. https://t.co/dPNLVdLrNX
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) October 8, 2019
Steve Kerr’s statement here is as mealy-mouthed and weak as anything the #Sixers told us yesterday:https://t.co/TKfQkBqogX https://t.co/f0g05FiP8d
— Mike Sielski (@MikeSielski) October 8, 2019
This is extreme disappointing from Steve Kerr, who speaks out on a number of important issues. You don’t need to be an expert in Hong Kong to support free speech and oppose government-coerced censorship.
More here: https://t.co/Ilx8KGDP5Z https://t.co/cNVfNsrLTu
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 8, 2019
Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich and all the other outspoken, anti-Trump, coaches in the @NBA suddenly find the question of opposing China’s brutal oppression “confusing.” https://t.co/Ztra8YFbbr
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) October 8, 2019
Steve Kerr is a joke. It’s truly a shame to see how sycophantic the NBA, and American corporations at large, have become to, in the words of South Park, “suck on the warm teat of China.” https://t.co/zgaPNcVB1N
— sharia board ??♂️?? (@SirajAHashmi) October 8, 2019
Really disappointed to see this from @SteveKerr, a man I’ve respected since I was a little kid and he was a player at Arizona. He’s not “versed enough” to support democracy and the right to protest? https://t.co/Fmk6s4WxKJ
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) October 8, 2019
Big fan of Steve Kerr the coach.
But if you’re going to go out of your way to comment of every Trump tweet and every social issue of the day, pleading ignorance on one of the biggest geopolitical issues in the world is going to raise some eyebrows. https://t.co/mQlWJjRlAU
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) October 8, 2019
Suddenly apolitical when the Chinese Communist Party is involved? Embarrassing, @SteveKerr https://t.co/grsBk5Y6hg
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) October 8, 2019
Quotes from a 2018 article on Kerr’s activism:
—”The coach of the NBA’s most powerful team will not stick to sports.”
—”No topic seems off limits. No question is too dangerous.”
—”Today’s NBA has a fearlessness about social justice that petrifies the NFL”Kerr today on China: ? https://t.co/Oq1QX0BoAz
— James Hasson (@JamesHasson20) October 8, 2019
So you think supporting democracy in China is a difficult decision that requires substantial study? Stop being naive. @SteveKerr isn’t saying anything here because @nba makes billions from China. He’s woke as hell until his own money or job gets threatened. https://t.co/zW94EPngQK
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 8, 2019
Kerr has always been progressive & outspoken. That he ducks a question about China repression, and how an NBA GM was forced to apologize for supporting Hong protesters, is telling. I had no idea how much of the NBA is owned by China. They have bought Kerr’s right to free speech https://t.co/yw8jIrPRuA
— Marcos Breton (@MarcosBreton) October 8, 2019
How “well versed” does Kerr need to be to understand which side represents freedom? I mean he’s a pretty smart guy with plenty of opinions. https://t.co/yew1sWyEqc
— Tim Cowlishaw (@TimCowlishaw) October 8, 2019
Pretty chill of Steve Kerr to call the people of Hong Kong fighting for their rights a “bizarre international story”
— Miles Surrey (@HKSurrey) October 8, 2019
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