Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has cultivated a reputation in the American press as an outspoken advocate for social justice. But he’s not sure what he thinks about China. The dictatorship that just celebrated its 70th anniversary of brutal communist rule is apparently a bit of a mystery to him.
Kerr, normally quick to opine on hot-button political issues such as immigration, gun control, and NFL protests, was asked this week for his take on the recent NBA/China controversy.
This is the same man the Guardian has described glowingly as the coach who “will not stick to sports.” “Chances are, Kerr will be asked. Chances are, Kerr will answer. No topic seems off limits. No question is too dangerous,” the Guardian once gushed. “Today’s NBA has a fearlessness about social justice that petrifies the NFL.”
Well, we finally figured out how to make him stick to sports — just ask him about a governmental system that oppresses and abuses human rights in ways that most Americans and other Westerners cannot even comprehend:
What I’ve found is that it’s easy to speak on issues that I’m passionate about 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. So I try to keep my comments to those things and so it’s not difficult. It’s more I’m just trying to learn.
My brother-in-law is actually a Chinese history professor and I emailed him today to tell me what I should be learning about all this and what’s happening and so I’m trying to learn just like everybody else.
Nearly a century of human rights violations, including genocide, famine, and concentration camps? Boy, I don’t know. I need some time to think about that.
The NBA began its cowardly display earlier this week when it sided with the Chinese Basketball Association against Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey, who had tweeted a note in support of the pro-democracy Hong Kong protesters.
“Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong,” said Morey in a since-deleted tweet.
The NBA, which has business interests in China, was not pleased with his pro-freedom sentiment.
“We recognize that the views expressed by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey have deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable,” the association said in a disgraceful official statement. “While Daryl has made it clear that his tweet does not represent the Rockets or the NBA, the values of the league support individuals’ educating themselves and sharing their views on matters important to them.”
As with most organizations that play the “woke” card, the NBA and its various celebrities find it a lot easier to take an ideological side than to have an opinion on China’s 70-year history of brutal oppression.
But don’t worry, folks — Kerr says his Chinese history professor brother-in-law is on the case.
(h/t James Hasson)
