At a time of turmoil in the United States, Team USA head basketball coach Steve Kerr is calling for unity in the wake of the assassination attempt Former President and presidential candidate Donald Trump, Kerr, called the day “terrible” and “demoralizing” for the United States and said he is still proud to represent the country in the competition.
“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 said. saying Sunday. “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.”
The team, currently practicing in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, woke up Sunday to news of the attempt, which took place Saturday night at a rally in Pittsburgh.
“It’s a demoralizing day for our country and it’s another example of not only our political divide but also gun culture,” Kerr said. “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 end because of the problems that already exist in the country. So this is a terrible day.”
Kerr’s father Malcolm was assassinated in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1984, after being targeted by the militant group Islamic Jihad. Malcolm Kerr was the president of the American University of Beirut, making him a target. As a result, Kerr has long been a vocal advocate for gun control.
Team USA star Stephen Curry also spoke out on the issue, calling it a “sad time overall.”
“All the conversations about the election and the state of politics in our country, and then you have a situation like this, it just (creates) a lot of emotions about things that we need to fix as a people,” Curry said. “Obviously, gun control first and foremost, because the fact that it’s even possible for someone to commit an attack like that.
“But what we want most is to see positivity and hope. It sounds corny, but it’s real. It’s when our country is at its best and that just adds another stain to what’s happening. It’s very sad, that’s the word.”