By Samantha Chang August 20, 2024 at 7:44am
Retired NBA star Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, was lampooned on social media after making a cringeworthy joke about former President Donald Trump on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Kerr, an avowed Trump-hater, said Monday, “After the results are tallied that night, we can — in the words of the great Steph Curry — we can tell Donald Trump, ‘night, night.’”
“In the words of the great Steph Curry, we can tell Donald Trump… night night!”
Steve Kerr at the Democratic National Convention 🤣pic.twitter.com/HcGs9jv4UQ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 20, 2024
Kerr, who coached the 2024 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team, was referencing an unsportsmanslike gesture Curry made after shooting a three-pointer in the gold-medal game against France.
After drilling the shot, Curry turned to the crowd and made a snarky gesture with his hands, suggesting he had just put France’s team to bed.
Team USA later went on to win the Olympic gold medal.
Steph Curry said “night-night” 💤pic.twitter.com/fyBYXlRg4d
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) March 28, 2024
Kerr was lambasted on X over his corny “night night” jab, which was neither clever nor funny.
This is the corniest thing I’ve ever heard in my life
— JWAC (@JwacReactions) August 20, 2024
What is wrong with Kerr man
— Lebronin1 (@Lebronin1) August 20, 2024
Politics aside that’s hella cringe
— Josh Downs WR1 (@jekluFF) August 20, 2024
Later in his speech, Kerr said he decided to speak out against Trump at the DNC because there’s too much at stake in the forthcoming election for him to stay silent.
“I know very well that speaking out about politics these days comes with risks,” he said. “I can see the ‘shut-up-and-whistle’ tweets being fired off as we speak.
“But I also knew as soon as I was asked that it was too important as an American citizen not to speak up in an election of this magnitude.”
The Trump War Room fired back on X, slamming Kerr’s hypocritical refusal to speak out against communist China.
“This is the same Steve Kerr that had no comment when he was asked about China’s human rights abuses,” the account quipped.
Steve Kerr said tonight that “speaking out about politics these days comes with risks… but it was too important as an American citizen to not speak up.”
This is the same Steve Kerr that had no comment when he was asked about China’s human rights abuses. pic.twitter.com/n0TXRpmi9n
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 20, 2024
It’s unclear why the Democratic Party thought asking a C-list “celebrity” such as Kerr to speak at the DNC would motivate its base or win over undecided voters.
So far, the lackluster convention has been insipid and uninspiring, and why not?
Under the Biden-Harris administration, the U.S. has been ravaged by crushing inflation, daily border invasions, soaring crime and escalating geopolitical conflicts that are inching us closer to another potential world war.
No matter how you spin it, a Harris presidency would exacerbate every catastrophic crisis that’s currently festering. She is not the solution; she is the problem.
Samantha Chang is a political commentator, lawyer and financial editor in NYC.
Samantha Chang is a politics writer, lawyer and financial editor based in NYC.
