Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr had a political point he wanted to make after Wednesday’s practice, even though reporters were already packing up and no one had asked about Washington.
He brought up Tuesday’s midterm elections himself, joking that he had been counting on a $5,000 check from President Trump. Kerr said he’d already spent the money and would now have to work out what to do.
The joke came as Republicans were reeling from losses at the polls. Kerr seemed eager to celebrate the result, a willingness to talk politics that, in my view, might have looked different if Democrats had been the ones losing.
Kerr has never hidden his liberal politics. He endorsed Kamala Harris, spoke at the Democratic National Convention and borrowed Stephen Curry’s “night night” celebration to poke fun at Trump. But he has also tried, at times, to present himself as a more measured voice. Warriors owner Joe Lacob has even acknowledged that Kerr can sometimes go too far with his political commentary.
That contrast has drawn criticism. Kerr previously said his silence about the crackdown in Hong Kong was tied to protecting the NBA’s business interests. He also said he regretted calling Trump a “buffoon,” arguing that political discussion should be more respectful.
To his critics, the concern is that Kerr is comfortable weighing in when the moment suits him, but less comfortable when his own claims are challenged.
In January, after a road trip to Minnesota, Kerr said federal immigration officers were not targeting violent criminals and instead described them as taking young children and American citizens. When questioned about the agency’s arrest record, he acknowledged that he had misspoken, conceded that officers did arrest some criminals and apologized for giving inaccurate information.
When a reporter tried to follow up, Kerr ended the exchange and redirected the room to basketball. That response made the contrast on Wednesday stand out: this time, with reporters focused on the sport, he was the one who brought politics back to the podium.
If Kerr chooses to use post-practice media sessions to comment on politics, he should expect questions in return. It’s harder to make the case for open discussion when the conversation gets shut down as soon as the scrutiny turns his way.
