After leading the U.S. men’s basketball team to Olympic gold in Paris, head coach Steve Kerr looked to inspire a different group of Americans.
Kerr, the head coach of Team USA and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, appeared onstage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night to endorse Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the next president and vice president of the United States.
Taking the stage at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls (the team with which Kerr won three consecutive championships between 1996 and 1998), the 58-year-old addressed the convention delegates in a rousing speech.
But while the overarching message of the coach’s speech was a call for unity, Kerr couldn’t resist firing a shot across the aisle.
As he said goodbye in Chicago, Kerr issued a warning to his rival, Donald Trump, just as he would do with his opponents on the court, based on the iconic celebration of one of his star players.
Steve Kerr, head coach of Team USA, appeared on stage at the Democratic National Convention
Golden State Warriors coach mocked Republican candidate Donald Trump
“After the results are counted tonight, we’ll be able to, in the words of the great Steph Curry, say to Donald Trump: ‘Good night,'” he concluded, channeling his Warriors star by making the sleeping gesture.
Curry recently performed the infamous “Night Night” celebration in Paris during the Olympic gold medal game against the host country, a triumph that Kerr said encapsulated core American ideals.
“The last time he was in a full basketball stadium was in Paris, France,” he said. “Nine days ago,Some of the best players on Earth – 12 incredible American men – teamed up to win Olympic gold, and the next night, I was back in that same building on June 12 to watch more of the best players on Earth – our incredible American women – do the same.
‘I can’t think of a better metaphor for what this country is about than the way Team USA came together at the Olympics.
‘We had players from all over our wonderful country, players who have trained and fought tirelessly, shed tears trying to beat others throughout their careers, joining forces to wear the red, white and blue and when we won, the American flag was raised to the rafters and the national anthem was played, gold medals hung from the necks of our players whose hands were held over their hearts, it was the proudest moment of my life.’
Kerr drew on the success of LeBron James, Steph Curry and company in the French capital this summer to urge the American people to unite in support of the Democratic candidate against Donald Trump on November 5.
Kerr imitated his Warriors star player Steph Curry’s iconic ‘Night Club’ celebration.
Curry recently performed the ‘Night Night’ celebration during the Olympic gold medal game.
Kerr, who just led Team USA to Olympic gold, endorsed Harris for president
‘The joy, compassion and commitment to our country that we saw at the Olympics is what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are all about and it’s what our country needs. Real leadership. Not the kind that seeks to divide us, but the kind that recognizes and celebrates our common purpose.
‘Think of what our team accomplished in Paris with 12 Americans who put aside rivalries to represent our country. Now imagine what we could do with all 330 million of us playing on the same team, not as Democrats, not as Republicans, not as libertarians, but as Americans who know that the greatness of this nation comes not from any one of us, but from each of us doing our part to build a more perfect union.’
That vision is at the heart of this campaign. That’s why I’m here tonight. And that’s why I’ll be out every day helping people get out and vote on November 5th and elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the next president and vice president of the United States.
Kerr also acknowledged the risk that entering into political debate (particularly in sports) poses for those in the public eye, but insisted he was willing to take it.
“I know very well that speaking out in politics these days carries risks,” he added. “I can see the ‘shut up and whistle’ tweets being thrown around right now.”
“But I also knew, as soon as I was asked, that I was too important as an American citizen not to speak in an election of this magnitude. The reason I said yes to speaking here tonight is that, as a coach and former player, as a husband, a son, a father, even a grandfather, and as an American, I believe in a certain kind of leadership.
‘I think leaders need to show dignity. I think leaders need to tell the truth. I think leaders need to be able to laugh at themselves. I think leaders need to care about and love the people they lead. I think leaders need to possess knowledge and experience, but with the full awareness that none of us have all the answers, and in fact, some of the best answers often come from team members.
Kerr acknowledged the risk that entering into political debate poses for those in the public eye.
Kerr built on the success of LeBron James, Steph Curry and company in the French capital.
“If you look for those qualities in your friends, in your boss, in an employee, in your child’s teacher, or in your mayor, shouldn’t you want those same qualities in your president? And if you think about it that way, there’s no comparison. I see all those qualities in Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.”
Earlier this year, Kerr condemned a “shameful” and “demoralizing” day in American history after former President Trump was shot at a campaign rally.
Trump, 78, was speaking on stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July when a shooter attempted to assassinate him, with a bullet grazing his ear before Secret Service personnel rushed to the stage to protect him.
The historic events occurred thousands of miles from where the U.S. basketball team was preparing for the Olympics, but head coach Kerr used a press conference to address the incident.
“This is a moment where we feel very proud to represent our country by wearing the name of the United States on our chest, competing in the Olympic Games,” Kerr told reporters.
“We’ve talked to the players about how important it is to show the best version of ourselves as human beings to represent our country in a respectful and dignified way. It makes you want to do it even more, because it’s really embarrassing for us to sit here and think about what happened and what’s happening in our country.”
Secret Service helps Donald Trump off stage after he was shot at campaign rally
For Kerr, the shocking incident will have brought back tragic memories from his own past, when his father Malcolm was assassinated in 1984 in Beirut while serving as president of the American University of Beirut.
“It’s a demoralizing day for our country and it’s another example of not only our political division but also our gun culture,” Kerr added. “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 how this will all end because of the problems that already exist in the country. So this is a terrible day.
“Thank God Trump didn’t get hit, but it’s very demoralizing in every way.”