If you appraised the chances of Steve Kerr ever walking back any of his rampant criticism of President Trump or kowtowing to China as being similar to hell freezing over, you might want to check the latest forecast in the infernal region.
In a recent interview with the New Yorker, Kerr, the very outspoken head coach of the Golden State Warriors, voiced regret for past comments in which he referred to President Trump as a “buffoon.” Not only that, the woke coach also criticized himself for “weak” comments he made about the Chinese government’s crackdown on free speech protesters in Hong Kong.
While the 9-time champion head coach and former player did not walk back any policy disagreements he has with the commander-in-chief, he regretted calling the president a buffoon, and not representing “our organization in a way that I could still let my feelings be known but not get too personal. I’m representing a large group of people.”
Kerr said, “Calling the President a buffoon, I kind of regret that, even though I felt it in my heart. It’s better to point out policy decisions, but also American values. What’s wrong with the things that he does.”
That wasn’t all, the former Arizona Wildcat also took himself to task for not being more vocal in his criticism of one of the NBA’s primary business partners, the Chinese Communist Party.
In 2019, the league sought to do damage control following then-Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey’s tweet in support of Hong Kong protesters in their demonstrations for freedom against Red China. Morey’s tweet, although deleted, enraged the Chinese and cost the NBA millions in sponsorship money as well as the canceling of some events.
Kerr, a noted free speech advocate and fearless critic when it came to his own country, declined to comment on the matter.
The Warriors coach told the New Yorker he regretted that decision.
“I gave a really weak answer. I was trying to walk the line,” Kerr explained.
“You regret that?” the interviewer asked,
“Yeah. I was wrong. We had a lot of players on our team that were doing business in China. A lot of our players would go there offseason. The NBA had this huge relationship with China. But, of course, thousands of American companies had trade and relations with China. And so the NBA just got caught up in all of this and I didn’t handle it well. I was trying to walk the company line and not make the NBA mad.”
While it seems by all reports that Kerr’s time with the Warriors may be soon coming to an end. The coach continues to assert he has no intention of entering politics.