Team USA basketball may be all the way in Abu Dhabi preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but that doesn’t mean the squad isn’t feeling the effects of what occurred this weekend in the United States.
USA men’s basketball head coach Steve Kerr has never shied away from speaking out against gun violence. He did his best to summarize the thoughts of his team on Sunday after the shooting of former U.S. President Donald Trump, calling it a “demoralizing day for our country.”
Kerr addressed the incident that occurred in Butler, Pa., where Trump was the target of an assassination attempt during one of his campaign rallies. The former President was left bloodied in the ear from the ordeal, but his team said he is doing “fine.”
However, two were left dead, including the gunman, and two others were critically wounded on Saturday.
Kerr was clear and concise in his thoughts, condemning the actions taken against Trump.
“It’s such a demoralizing day for our country, and it’s yet another example of not only our political division but also gun culture,” Kerr said. “A 20-year-old with an AR-15 trying to shoot the former president. It’s hard to process everything, and it’s scary to think about where this goes because of the issues that already exist in the country. So this is a terrible day.
“You imagine [the victims’] family and friends today and what they’re feeling, and thank God Trump wasn’t [critically wounded],” Kerr said.
