Warriors’ coach Kerr walks back China comments as questions surround his NBA future

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr received criticism from President Trump in 2019 for defending the NBA’s business in China, refusing to critique the nation’s human rights record amid widespread protests in Hong Kong.

Kerr walked back his comments in a story published in the New Yorker on Sunday, stating that he was following “the company line.”

“I gave a really weak answer,” the nine-time NBA champion said. “I was trying to walk the line. … I really regret that. I was wrong.”

At the time, the NBA scolded Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey for comments that supported the Hong Kong protesters. Many Chinese officials and organizations responded by cutting ties with the Houston Rockets and the NBA.

Kerr, who has often included his views on immigration and gun control in his press conferences, did not support Morey.

“We had a lot of players on our team that were doing business in China. A lot of our players would go there [in the] offseason,” Kerr told the New Yorker. “The NBA had this huge relationship with China. … the NBA just go caught up in all of this and I didn’t handle it well.”

In 2019, Trump accused Kerr and then-San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich of “pandering to China.” The Republican president narrowed in on Kerr, saying he “was like a little boy, he was so scared to be even answering the question.”

“He couldn’t answer the question — he was shaking, ’Oh, oh, oh, I don’t know. I don’t know,’” Trump said. “He didn’t know how to answer the question, and yet he’ll talk about the United States very badly.”

Kerr’s future with the Warriors is now in doubt. Sports media analysts have speculated that he could pivot to the broadcast booth this offseason after Golden State finished with a 37-45 record. The Phoenix Suns eliminated the Warriors during this year’s play-in tournament.

“I hope he’s our coach next season,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said of Kerr on his podcast this month. “You want my opinion? I think not. Just because it feels like that. It felt like that was it.”

Green and two-time MVP Steph Curry are the only players left from the Warriors’ dynastic run in the mid-2010s. Kerr has publicly said that he is mulling his options.

“I don’t want to abandon those guys,” he told the New Yorker. “If Steph and Draymond were retiring this year, I think this would be an easy decision: we all go out together and the organization takes their new path. But it’s not that easy, because I think Steph’s going to play another couple of years.”