Legendary basketball coach Steve Kerr channeled star NBA player Steph Curry onstage at the Democratic National Convention, telling crowds that in November, “we can tell Donald Trump ‘night night’.”
Fresh from his return from the 2024 Paris Olympics – where Team USA won gold in both the men’s and women’s basketball – Kerr heaped praise on Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz “coach to coach,” and joked about the governor’s history as a high school football coach.
Kerr, who is also head coach for the Golden State Warriors, took to the stage Monday night to chants of “USA, USA, USA!”
Paying tribute to Kamala Harris and Walz, he told crowds: “They have devoted their lives to serving other people, whether Vice President Harris was defending her community in the courtroom or Governor Walz was inspiring the next generation in the classroom, or on the field for that matter.
“I gotta say, coach to Coach: that guy’s awesome.”
Kerr went on to joke with Walz about his famous state championship while working as defensive coordinator at Mankato West High School in 1999.
“I have to say, Coach: [you had] way too much reliance on the blitz in ‘99 against Mankato East. You had a strong defensive line. I would have played more press coverage with your corners and dropped the safeties into a Tampa 2 but that’s just me,” he said.
“Sorry – I wanted you to know how I feel every day of the NBA season.”
He went on: “The joy, the compassion, the commitment to our country that we saw at the Olympics – that is what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have. And it is what our country needs: leadership. Real leadership.
“Think about what our team achieved with 12 Americans in Paris – putting aside rivalries to represent our country. Now imagine what we could do with all 350 million of us playing on the same team.
“And after the results are tallied that night [November 5], we can, in the words of the great Steph Curry… tell Donald Trump ‘night night’.”
As he spoke Kerr put his hands together on the side of his head – the well known celebration by Curry, a four-time NBA champion, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Curry was also part of the 2024 winning team, which included other basketball greats including LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
