Kerr laments disgusting election cycle and Trump: It´s not the Jerry Springer show!
On the day after a historically stunning Election Day, Steve Kerr was among a number of NBA coaches and players still processing the unprecedented events of the weeks and months that led to deciding the 45th president of the United States.
The Golden State Warriors coach, speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, said he was dismayed by the 2016 election cycle, which featured a relentless barrage of insults flung between President-elect Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
It echoed the sentiment of Detroit Pistons counterpart Stan Van Gundy, who hours earlier wondered aloud how America could elect a ‘brazenly racist’ Trump.
Kerr, who often speaks articulately about divisive social issues such as gun control or racial injustice, summed up the country’s decision in his own unique way.
“I thought it took a lot of guts for Stan to say what he did and, you know, I think a lot of us feel similarly. For me, probably the biggest disappointment with this whole election was the level of discourse. There should be come level of decorum, respect and dignity that goes with the election of the presidency, and it’s like it went out the window.
“Maybe we should have seen it coming over the last 10 years. You look at society, look at what’s popular, people are getting paid millions of dollars to go on TV and scream at each other, whether it’s in sports or politics or entertainment. I guess it was only a matter of time before it spilled into politics, but all of a sudden you’re faced with reality.
“The man who’s going to lead you has routinely used racist, misogynist, insulting words. That’s a tough one. That’s a tough one. And I wish him well, I hope he’s a good president.
“I have no idea what kind of president he’ll be because he hasn’t said anything about what he’s going to do. We don’t know. But it’s tough when you want there to be some respect and dignity and there hasn’t been any. And then you walk into a room with your daughter and your wife, who have basically been insulted by his comments, and they’re distraught. And you walk in and you see the faces of your players, and most of them who have been insulted directly, as minorities.
“It’s sure shocking. It really is. We talked about it as a team this morning. I don’t know what else to say. But just the whole process has left all of us feeling disgusted and disappointed. I thought we were better than this. I thought the ‘Jerry Springer Show’ was the ‘Jerry Springer Show.’
“Watching the last debate, Trump would make a crack at Clinton and you could hear the fans in the stands. ‘Ooooooo, No he didn’t.’ Yeah, he did. This is a presidential election. It’s not the ‘Jerry Springer Show.’
“I’m sorry. This is my rant. I’m disappointed in the lack of respect and dignity that’s involved, but that’s the way it goes.”
