Golden State Warriors Head coach Steve Kerr spoke on opening night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, at the same venue where he won three NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. Fresh off a trip to Paris, where he coached the U.S. basketball team to its 17th Olympic gold medal, Kerr told the crowd gathered in support of Vice President Kamala Harris that he could think of “no better metaphor for what this country is about” than her Olympic victory.
“Think of what our team accomplished in Paris with 12 Americans who put aside their rivalries to represent our country,” Kerr said. “And now imagine what we could accomplish if all 330 million of us played 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.”
In a quick rundown of his hopes for election night, Kerr joked that, to borrow the words of Warriors star point guard and Team USA hero Steph Curry, “after the results are counted,” we can say “goodnight” to Donald Trump, referring to one of Curry’s signature cheers.
The Warriors coach also poked fun at Tim Walz’s accomplishments as a high school football coach. “By the way, from coach to coach, the guy is just great. Although I have to say, Coach Walz – he relied way too much on the blitz against Mankato East in 1999. They had a strong defensive line.”
Kerr – who has won a total of nine championships as a player and coach – supported President Joe Biden during his 2020 presidential campaign and was a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, Kerr told reporters that Harris was “a great candidate and I will support her.”
Kerr praised Harris and Walz, her running mate, in his speech at the convention. “Leaders must demonstrate dignity, I believe leaders must tell the truth, I believe leaders should be able to laugh at themselves, I believe leaders must care about and love the people they lead, I believe leaders must have knowledge and expertise – but fully realize that none of us have all the answers. And in fact, some of the best answers often come from members of the team,” Kerr said.
“I see all of those qualities in Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” Kerr added.
