Kerr wades into the political pond again as Team USA originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
A faction of self-described American patriots is discussing a boycott of the Paris Olympics this summer because they are unhappy with one Team USA roster. It’s a nonsensical response, but so is any action born of spite.
Caitlin Clark, the WNBA Indiana Fever’s promising rookie who happens to be white, was not named to the Team USA women’s basketball roster. Due to her negligence, some people are vowing to withdraw their support. It’s the latest grenade to be thrown into the discourse surrounding Clark.
Don’t believe for a second that race — Clark’s skin color is attractive to casual fans previously turned away by the predominantly black WNBA — isn’t the cause of this reaction.
Their love for country is conditional, which proves once again that sports and politics are cousins and always will be, whether you like it or not. It is also an example of how subjective definitions of patriotism can result in grotesque distortions of meaning.
Which brings us to Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors and also, relevant to this topic, the Team USA men’s basketball team. He is admired and loathed for exactly the same reasons, mainly political ones.
Kerr announced his plan for the 2024 presidential election last week. He is backing incumbent, 81-year-old Joe Biden, over Donald Trump, the unstoppable convicted felon who turns 78 on Friday and is looking for a return to the White House.
While Kerr’s decision is not a surprise, some may consider a boycott due to his politics. When Kerr coached Team USA at the FIBA World Cup last summer, some Americans claimed they would be competing against America.
However, Kerr doesn’t bend. Appearing on MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle” Monday night, Kerr explained his support for Biden and reiterated his years-long crusade on another political issue that is polarizing but logically shouldn’t be.
Gun safety.
“It’s clear that President Biden is really interested in implementing gun safety measures,” Kerr said. “Common sense preventive measures against gun violence.”
Since his father, Malcolm, was murdered on the campus of the American University of Beirut in 1984, Kerr has spent most of his life campaigning for laws intended to limit the prevalence of guns.
Kerr advocates for universal background checks and has worked with numerous organizations – including the Sandy Hook Promise, Giffords Law Center and March for Our Lives – working to stem the tide of gun violence, the leading cause of non-accidental death among teens. in the United States.
“I know we can prevent this [deaths]” said Kerr. “President Biden is confident he will push for common-sense laws that can make that happen. And I know President Trump won’t do that. So for me it is a very simple choice.”
Kerr’s support of Biden and his push for stricter gun laws are unpopular with conservatives and outright maligned by those willing to stand against America. He is well aware of this and that is why he has organized his own boycott.
Once a frequent presence on social media — most notably Twitter, now known as .
While many keyboard fanatics populating social media continue to urge Kerr to “stick to sports,” there is no indication that he will “shut up and start coaching.”
And yet Kerr is generally viewed positively. The findings of a recent casino.ca survey of 3,000 NBA fans concluded that he is the most beloved head coach in the league. Nearly eight-in-ten (78 percent) Warriors fans consider themselves “familiar” with Kerr, which was well above the league average of 51 percent. Moreover, his ‘likability’ score was 25 percent above average.
Kerr, 58, fights injustice, marches for racial/gender equality and participates in voter registration drives. Although he now avoids posting on X, his “profile photo” commemorating the late George Floyd remains. He considers himself a patriot committed to the pursuit of a civilized and humane America.
Kerr’s detractors — primarily the same group who are raving about Clark not being on Team USA — view him as a radical who too often strays from the boundaries of the sport.
But of course he was asked on MSNBC about Clark’s absence from the women’s team.
“I’m sorry for her that she won’t be there,” Kerr said. ‘But I’m sure she’ll have a great chance in four years. When you put these Olympic teams together, it’s all about winning. It will probably take a few years before Caitlin is really at the top.
“The women’s team will bring along the twelve players they think can help bring home gold. That’s exactly what the men’s team did. That’s the name of the game. No politics at the Olympics. We just want to win.”
A sensible response, without an ounce of resentment, unlike those who are unwilling to support all the teams representing their beloved country.
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