Steve Kerr’s pre-match press conference had nothing to do with basketball before Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Warriors and the Mavericks on Tuesday. Instead, the Warriors head coach gave a three-minute monologue in response to Tuesday’s shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which left at least 19 students and two adults dead.
Kerr, who has been constantly talking about gun violence in America and campaigning for gun control, was visibly shaking and about to cry at times during his address to the media on Tuesday. Here’s his full availability before the game, along with a video of his speech.
I won’t talk about basketball. Nothing has happened to our team in the last six hours. Tonight we will start the same way. Any basketball question doesn’t matter.
Since we left filming, 14 children have been killed 400 miles from here. And a teacher. In the last 10 days, we’ve murdered black seniors in a Buffalo supermarket, we’ve murdered Asian religious people in Southern California. We now have murdered children at school.
When will we do something? I’m tired. I am very tired of going up here and offering my condolences to the devastated families out there. I’m so tired. Excuse me. Sorry. I’m tired of moments of silence. Enough!
Right now, there are 50 senators who refuse to vote on HR8, which is a background check rule that the House passed a couple of years ago. He has been sitting there for two years. And there is a reason why they will not vote for her: to keep power.
So I ask you, Mitch McConnell, I ask all senators to refuse to do anything about violence and shootings in schools and shootings in supermarkets. I ask you: will you put your own desire for power ahead of the lives of our children, our elders, and our faithful? Because that’s what it looks like. That’s what we do every week.
So I’m fed up. I’ve had enough. We will play the game tonight. But I want every person here, every person who hears 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 fall asleep with that. We can’t just sit here and just read and go, well, let’s take a moment of silence, yes, Go Dubs. Come on, Mavs, come on. This is what we will do. Let’s play a game of basketball.
Fifty senators in Washington will take us hostage. Do you realize that 90 percent of Americans, regardless of political party, want background checks, universal background checks? Ninety percent of us. We are held hostage by 50 senators in Washington who refuse to even vote for us, despite what we want, the American people.
They will not vote for him because they want to maintain their own power. It’s pathetic! I’ve had enough!
Kerr’s father, Malcolm, was assassinated by gunmen in 1984 while he was president of the American University of Beirut. The Warriors coach has spoken out against several shootings in recent years, urging government officials to make significant changes to U.S. gun control laws.
Several NBA players, including LeBron James, expressed outrage over Tuesday’s shooting. The NBA issued a statement via Twitter:
“The NBA family is devastated by the horrific shooting that took place today in Uvalde, Texas. Our sincere thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends of the victims, and to the entire Robb Elementary School and Uvalde community. “.
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Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd also tackled the shootout before Game 4.
“It’s hard. You know, as coaches or parents, we have kids. The people in this room have kids. Elementary school. Just think about what could happen to any of your family or friends at a school.” dir Kidd. “This is an ongoing job training. We will try to play the game. We have no choice. The game will not be canceled. But we must find a way to be professional, find a way to win and move forward.
“But the news of what’s happening, not just here in Texas but across our country, is sad.”