The Golden State Warriors, NBA champions, recently paid a celebration visit to the White House where they gave President Biden as well as VP Kamala Harris their own jerseys. However, several of the players also took part in a discussion about gun violence, as according to Deadline.
According to reports, coach Steve Kerr, players Klay Thompson as well as Moses Moody, participated in the conversation with White House representatives. Kerr said they “learned a great deal about what this admin. is doing to help build a safer environment for our nation.”
The coach continued, “That is something that is extremely important to my heart.”
Kerr is a well-known anti-gun activist who has made several statements over the years criticizing Republican senators and officials, often assigning blame for shootings on party members.
By prioritizing their “thirst for power over the lives of our kids, our elderly, and our churchgoers,” they “refuse to do anything about the violence, the school shootings, the grocery store massacres,” Kerr stated in 2022.
Additionally, Kerr collaborates with the Brady Campaign, a nonprofit that promotes gun control and offers a 12-point strategy to do away with gun violence.
After winning NBA championships two separate times, the team—which had the same core players as back when Donald Trump was the president—refused to meet with the United States’ 45th president.
Even after winning NBA championships as a player and coach, Kerr sent an open letter to President Trump published by Sports Illustrated in 2017, noting how simple it was to “put politics aside” while visiting former presidents like the Bush family, Reagan, Obama, and Clinton.
At the time, Kerr stated that if he were to visit the White House, he would insist on a sit-down conversation with the president to discuss current events. “The truth is that we have all struggled with the concept of spending some time with a man that has offended us all with his actions and words time and time again,” Kerr said.
Steph Curry, a multiple-time MVP, thanked the Biden admin. for their “dedication and hard work” in swapping a Russian weapons dealer for the WNBA player Brittney Griner, referring to her as a member of the “basketball family” in the White House press room.
