Steve Kerr’s pre-match press conference had nothing to do with pre-match basketball 4 of the Western Conference finals between the Warriors and the Mavericks on Tuesday. Instead, the Warriors head coach delivered a three-minute monologue in response to Tuesday’s shooting at Rob Elementary School in Uwalde, Texas, which killed at least 19 students and two adults.
Kerr, who has consistently spoken out about gun violence in America and is campaigning for gun control, was visibly shaken at times on the verge of tears during his address to the media on Tuesday. Here is all the pre-game availability, along with a video of his speech.
I’m not going to talk about basketball. Nothing has happened to our team in the last six hours. Tonight we will start the same way. Not all basketball issues matter.
Since we left the shooting, 14 children have been killed 400 miles away. And a teacher. For the last 10 days, we’ve had black adults killed in a supermarket in Buffalo, we’ve had Asian churchmen killed in Southern California. We now have children killed at school.
When will we do something? Feel tired. I am so tired of getting up here and offering my condolences to the devastated families who are there. I’m so tired. Excuse me. I’m sorry. I was tired of the moments of silence. Enough!
There are currently 50 senators who refuse to vote for HR8, a rule of thumb that the House of Representatives adopted a few years ago. He’s been there for two years. And there is a reason not to vote for it: to retain power.
That’s why I’m asking you, Mitch McConnell, to ask all of you senators who refuse to do anything about violence and shootings at school and supermarkets. I ask you: will you put your own desire for power before the lives of our children and our elderly and our churchmen? Because that’s what it looks like. This is what we do every week.
So I’m tired. I had enough. We will play tonight. But I want every person here, every person who listens to this, to think of their own child or grandchild, or mother or father, sister, brother. How would you feel if this happened to you today?
We can’t go numb about that. We can’t just sit here and read about it and go, well, let’s ask for a moment – yes, Go Dubs. Come on, Mavs, let’s go. We will do that. We’re going to play a basketball game.
Fifty senators in Washington will hold us hostage. Do you realize that 90 percent of Americans, regardless of political party, want a test of the past – a universal test of the past? Ninety percent of us. We are hostages to 50 senators in Washington who refuse to even put him to the vote, despite what we, the American people, want.
They will not vote for this because they want to keep their own power. It’s a pity! I had enough!
Kerr’s father, Malcolm, was killed by gunmen in 1984 while serving as president of the American University of Beirut. The Warriors coach has spoken out against various shootings over the past few years, urging government officials to make significant changes to U.S. gun control laws.
Many NBA players, including LeBron James, expressed outrage at Tuesday’s shooting. The NBA posted a statement on Twitter:
“The NBA family is devastated by the horrific shooting that took place today in Uwalde, Texas. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are to the family and friends of the victims, as well as to the entire Rob Elementary School and the Uwalde community.”
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Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd also turned to shooting before Game 4.
“It’s difficult. You know, as coaches or fathers, we have children. The people in this room have children. Primary school. “Just think about what might happen to one of your family or friends at school,” Kidd said. “This is training for work on the go. We will try to play the game. We have no choice. The game will not be canceled. But we need to find a way to be professionals, find a way to win and move forward.
“But the news of what is happening, not only here in Texas, but throughout our country, is sad.
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