Warriors player Kerr felt like a ‘fish out of water’ during DNC speech originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steve Kerr is no stranger to these kinds of big moments, but on one night on Aug. 19, the nine-time NBA champion experienced nerves unlike any he’s ever known as a player or coach.
Kerr took the stage on the first night of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, an arena he knows well from his days playing with the Bulls, and addressed a crowd of about 26,000 attendees and millions watching from home. supporting current Vice President Kamala Harris for president in the 2024 election while channeling Steph Curry’s viral “good night” celebration by speaking out against former President Donald Trump.
The Warriors coach joins “Le Dan Le Batard” He was asked about the opportunity to speak at the convention and whether he was nervous about being invited.
“Yeah, it was an interesting experience,” Kerr said. “They asked me to do it a few days before we started and I really thought about it a lot because I knew I was going to get a lot of flak for it. But I wanted to make sure I was getting the right message across, which was the most important thing to me. After I thought about it, I realized, ‘Hey, they asked me for a reason. They think it’s important that I speak my mind.’ So I decided to do it and it was very nerve-wracking, but I’m glad I did it. I met a lot of great people, there’s a lot of energy in the building. It was a lot of fun to be a part of.”
Kerr received some criticism for his appearance, but feedback on his speech was generally positive as it aimed to convey a message of unity in a divided political climate.
“I’ve gotten a few emails. But overall, the vast majority of people who have reached out have been very supportive,” Kerr said. “I wanted to make sure my message was one of unity, especially after the team won Olympic gold in Paris.”
“I think the political rhetoric, and even the national rhetoric, on a lot of platforms these days is so ugly and divisive. I just wanted to make sure that my message reminded people that when we come together in different ways, we can accomplish a lot. I think that applies to sports, it applies to our country and we need to come together.”
Although he had played in numerous NBA Finals games, including Game 6 of the 1997 series where he hit the game-winning shot to give the Bulls their second of three consecutive titles, Kerr felt out of place in a different arena.
“I felt like a fish out of water because it was such a different world for me,” Kerr said. “I’m used to the nerves of playing and it feels good. Competitive sports are so much fun because you have to give it your all and do everything you can to win, but you know you’re going to lose your fair share.”
“There will be nights where you lose sleep over decisions that you made that backfired, that kind of thing… but the political spectrum is different, the setting was different. Having teleprompters on either side of me, addressing the crowd, knowing there were millions of people watching on television. It was really nerve-wracking.”
Kerr appreciated the opportunity and the chance to get his message out to such a wide audience, but he’s certainly looking forward to getting back into the arena he’s much more comfortable in.
