Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr declined to give an opinion on the current situation engulfing China and the NBA.
The league became embroiled in controversy after it smacked down Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey after Morey expressed support for Hong Kong’s protests against China’s new extradition bill. Kerr declined to weigh in on the matter, a strong departure from his normal approach to social and political activism. (RELATED: Donald Trump Reveals Fate Of Golden State Warriors White House Visits)
Steve Kerr’s full statement on the NBA/China controversy pic.twitter.com/7D5QTCtQe9
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) October 8, 2019
“It’s a really bizarre international story and a lot of us don’t know what to make of it,” Kerr said.
Kerr then appeared to attempt to explain the contrast between his silence on China and his eagerness to speak on domestic issues. Kerr has emerged as a strong voice for left-wing political causes in the U.S. The Warriors also refused to visit President Donald Trump’s White House following each of their back to back NBA championships.
“What I’ve found is that it’s easy to speak on issues that I’m passionate about and that I feel like I’m well-versed on and I’ve found that it makes the most sense to stick to topics that fall in that category,” Kerr said. (RELATED: NBA’s Surrender To China Shows Money Still Talks Louder Than ‘Social Justice’)
Kerr also added that his brother was a Chinese history professor and he would reach out to him to learn more about the issue. Whether Kerr is genuine about wanting to learn more about the Hong Kong issue remains to be seen, but it shouldn’t be too hard for the coach to condemn the Communist country’s vast human rights abuses, which include the internment of Chinese Muslims, and strict censorship laws.
That Kerr was unwilling to raise that issue when he has developed a brand as a social justice crusader speaks volumes about his priorities.