Steve Kerr: Golden State Warriors to Bring Values to D.C. After Trump Dis
Coach Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors got a very public dis-invitation from President Donald Trump to visit the White House. What is normally a warm and non-political event for championship teams became a wholly political spectacle that played out in the media and on Twitter.
Now, with the Warriors schedule empty for their February 28th visit to the nation’s capital, the team is trying to find a way to still make a statement. Kerr spoke about potential plans on the Pod Save America podcast on Monday, and the interview was conducted by Dan Pfeiffer, a former Barack Obama aide.
“I don’t think we would have gone,” Kerr said. “And I think he knew that. Several of us had been very critical of the president in the past year, and it would have been awkward, for sure.”
Kerr also said the team might visit the childhood home of Kevin Durant in Seat Pleasant, Maryland and run a basketball clinic. He says they’ve received invitations from other D.C. politicians, and there’s also the possibility the team visits a historic monument or museum.
The head coach has been to the White House numerous times as a championship player and coach, and his brother also worked there during the Bill Clinton administration. Kerr also spoke about the differences between the fanbase of the NBA and NFL, and how that has fueled Colin Kaepernick being “blackballed,” and why NBA players are allowed to have a more open voice.
“That’s a no-brainer,” Kerr said of Kaepernick. “All you have to do is read the transactions every day, when you see the quarterbacks who are being hired. He’s way better than any of them.
“The NFL has a different fan base than the NBA,” Kerr continued. “The NBA is more urban, the NFL is more conservative, and I think a lot of NFL fans are truly angry at Kaepernick, and I think owners are worried what it’s going to do to business.”