Steve Kerr, who coaches the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, is no stranger to publicly criticizing our country’s shortcomings. He’s been very open about his disdain for elected officials too weak to act on gun safety laws after dozens of children die in school shootings. Right now his team is in the thick of the NBA’s playoffs, trying to inch closer to another shot at the championship, but Kerr took some time before game five to respond to reporters’ questions. Over at The Athletic, writer Anthony Slater reported on the coach’s comments surrounding the NFL’s idiotic kneeling ban.
Kerr: It’s just typical of the NFL. They’re just playing to their fanbase. Basically just trying to use the anthem as fake patriotism, nationalism, scaring people. It’s idiotic. But that’s how the NFL has conducted their business.
I’m proud to be in a league that understands patriotism in America is about free speech and peacefully protesting. Our leadership in the NBA understands when the NFL players were kneeling, they were kneeling to protest police brutality, to protest racial inequality. They weren’t disrespecting the flag of the military. But our president decided to make it about that and the NFL followed suit, pandered to their fanbase, created this hysteria.
It’s kind of what’s wrong with our country right now—people in high places are trying to divide us, divide loyalties, make this about the flag as if the flag is something other than it really is—which is a representation of what we’re about, which is diversity, peaceful protests, right to free speech. It’s ironic actually.
That’s about as straight a point as you can make.