Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn't have much to say when asked about the ongoing NBA-China issues earlier this week, telling reporters that he simply didn't know what to make of it all.
“Actually I don’t,” Kerr said when asked if he has thoughts on the controversy. “It’s a really bizarre international story. A lot of us don’t know what to make of it. It’s something I’m reading about like everybody is, but I’m not gonna comment further.”
Kerr hasn't been shy about speaking on social and political issues, specifically his displeasure with President Trump, and he received some backlash for failing to support the pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. On Wednesday, Trump took a shot at Kerr, describing him as a "little boy" who was scared to answer any questions about the China controversy.
"I watched this guy Steve Kerr and he was like a little boy who was so scared to be even answering the question. He couldn't answer the question - he was shaking... He didn't know how to answer the question. And yet he'll talk about the United States very badly."
https://twitter.com/_/status/1182033770829860864
Kerr addressed those comments on Thursday ahead of Golden State's preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"It was really surprising," Kerr said, per ESPN. "But mainly just because it was me. Then you stop and you think, this is just every day. This is just another day. I was the shiny object yesterday. There was another one today; there will be a new one tomorrow. And the circus will go on. It's just strange, but it happened."
"If we had been thinking earlier I was going to ride in on a tricycle," Kerr said. "With one of those beanies with the propeller -- because he called me a little boy."
Additionally, Kerr recalled his numerous trips to the White House over the years, including the time he and his mom were graciously invited to speak with Ronald Reagan in 1984 after Kerr's father was killed in a terrorist attack. In reflecting on that trip to the White House, and his other positive visits in the last 35 years, Kerr noted, "It's just sad it's come crashing down. That we are now living this."
He adds, "But for me personally, this was my experience with, wow, has the office sunken low. My hope is that we can find a mature unifier from either party to sit in that chair and try to restore some dignity to the Oval Office again, and I think it will happen."
Check out his full response in the video embedded below.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1182460655456047104
