The NBA community has consistently voiced strong opposition to gun violence, with Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr being one of its most prominent advocates. Steve Kerr, who tragically lost his father, Malcolm Kerr, to gun violence in Beirut at the age of 18, has long championed gun control efforts. Currently coaching Team USA for the upcoming Paris Olympics, Kerr addressed the recent attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Trump, who is actively campaigning for re-election, survived the incident with a bullet wound to his right ear. The attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulted in the deaths of one rally attendee and the suspected gunman.
Kerr expressed deep concern about the incident and its implications for the United States.
“It’s such a demoralizing day for our country, and it’s yet another example of not only our political division but also gun culture,” Kerr remarked to reporters in Abu Dhabi. “A 20-year-old with an AR-15 trying to shoot the former president. It’s hard to process everything, and it’s scary to think about where this goes because of the issues already in the country. So this is a terrible day.”
Stephen Curry, Kerr’s star player on the Golden State Warriors and a member of Team USA, shared similar sentiments.
“It’s a very sad time in general,” Curry said. “All the conversations around the election and the state of politics in our country, and then you have a situation like this, which just a lot of emotions around things that we need to correct.
“Gun control first and foremost, because of the fact that that’s even possible for somebody to have an attack like that. But just more so you want positivity and hope. It sounds cheesy, but it’s real. That’s when our country’s at its best, and it just adds another blemish to what’s going on. So sad is just the word.”
As Team USA gears up for the Olympics, the spotlight will be on its basketball team, composed of superstars known for their political and social advocacy. The games in Paris offer an opportunity for the United States to showcase its best, amidst the backdrop of significant domestic challenges.
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