Warriors currently have ‘no plans’ to protest before preseason opener

OAKLAND - The Warriors have remained unflinchingly outspoken on the political environment.

They have stayed critical of President Donald Trump, both for his rhetoric and for withdrawing a White House invitation in honor of the Warriors’ 2017 NBA championship. They have also supported NFL players kneeling before the national anthem to protest racial inequality.

When the Warriors host their preseason opener against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at the Oracle, however, coach Steve Kerr said “at this point, there’s no plans to do anything.”

“I haven’t been made aware of it. If there were to be something, I would’ve heard,” Kerr said after practice on Friday. “That’s what we talk about as a group. We never do anything without the whole team discussing it. At this point, there’s no plans.”

While the NFL allows players and coaches either to sit or kneel during the national anthem, the NBA rulebook states that “players, coaches and trainers are to stand up and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or on the foul line during the playing of the national anthem.” Last season, several NBA teams locked arms during the anthem.

Still, the Warriors have often stressed to focus more on the message (addressing racial inequality) than the act itself. So the Warriors still plan to be active and outspoken, albeit in different ways.

“I like what our guys do. They concentrate on their jobs and sports,” Kerr said. “They take their jobs really seriously. But they make their feelings known in a very respectful manner. They do a lot of work in the community. They do a lot of things to help others. I’m very proud of our players.”