NBA’s Wokest Coach Finally Says Something About China

Written by Peter Heck

Better late than never. And I’m serious.

I’ve been adamant about holding woke warriors like outspoken NBA coach Steve Kerr accountable for his inexcusable moral hypocrisy when it comes to matters of social justice.

Kerr’s persistence in pointing out to everyone how sensitive he is to the plight of those treated unjustly counterbalanced against his flagrant unwillingness to say a single word on behalf of the most oppressed and mistreated victims of systemic injustice in the world is mindless.

Because Kerr cashes handsome checks from the NBA’s lucrative partnership with China, he hasn’t been able to bring himself to say word one about the literal holocaust of Uighur Muslims, the subjugation of the free people in Hong Kong, or the persecution of Christians in the communist country. When the yuan-to-dollar exchange is in play, Kerr has always played dumb about injustice:

“We can play this game all we want and go all over the map. The world is a complex place and there’s more gray than black and white.”

For those keeping track at home, there’s nothing gray about the human rights abuse in China.

But, there were signs of life within the moral conscience of Steve Kerr recently, during the coach’s interview with the Washington Post’s Candace Buckner. Though not asked about the topic, Kerr himself steered the conversation into an apology (of sorts) for not being more outspoken about defending the Houston Rockets’ general manger Daryl Morey China.

With the NBA addressing severed ties w/ a Chinese bkb camp, I wanted to share this from Steve Kerr

I’m working on a piece abt coaches & their role in speaking up & Kerr, usually outspoken, admitted he didn’t like his comments re: China last yr

I think this is honest reflection pic.twitter.com/6sPNVWWnVt

— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) July 24, 2020

No, I’m not into nonsense talk like “speaking your truth,” but I am into Kerr acknowledging the right of free speech is sacrosanct in the United States. And I am into Kerr making his first comments yet about China.

A long way to go? No doubt.

Being woke in the United States earns you the unfettered applause and affectionate support of nearly every media outlet imaginable. In other words, it costs Kerr nothing. Saying that Uighur concentration camps are evil or the oppression of Hong Kong is wrong might cost him something and so to this point, Kerr remains silent. But maybe this baby step in the right direction will open the floodgates?

It was an abomination that Daryl Morey had to stand alone at the time he made these remarks – even having to face the taunting ignorance of league superstar LeBron James. Kerr is, unquestionably, late to the party in standing in solidarity with Morey and the American ideal of free speech. But unlike far too many in his league, at least he showed up to it, even if it took months.

This article was originally published at The Resurgent.