Popovich: ‘I don’t care’ about article

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has said that he would like to see San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich run for president, but many San Antonians aren’t such fans of Popovich’s political views.

Hours before the Spurs faced Golden State in Game 2 of the first round Monday night at Oracle Arena, the Washington Post published a story detailing the backlash President Trump’s supporters in San Antonio have had to Popovich’s repeated criticism of the president. Popovich said he wasn’t familiar with the article when asked about it before the game.

“No, I don’t care about an article that anyone might write, except if you wrote one,” Popovich joked with the reporter. “The organization has never said a word about any opinion that I might have about anything, not one time.”

Kerr and Popovich have been vocal about their displeasure with Trump. They have criticized Trump for his divisive campaign rhetoric; his executive order banning immigrants from majority-Muslim countries from traveling to the United States; his lax approach to gun control; his profane comments about NFL players who protest racial inequality during the national anthem; and his decision to pull the Warriors’ invitation to celebrate the team’s NBA title at the White House.

The two coaches’ candid takes on Trump inspired a grassroots movement called “Popovich Kerr 2020,” encouraging them to run in the 2020 presidential election. It has an official website, where supporters can buy campaign-style memorabilia with proceeds going to charities.

Though Kerr’s criticism of Trump has been well-received for the most part in the liberal Bay Area, Popovich’s anti-Trump sound bites have angered many in San Antonio and the more conservative surrounding communities. The Post story included a number of anecdotes about former Spurs fans who stopped watching the team and got rid of their Spurs gear because of Popovich’s comments about Trump.

“Who are these people?” Popovich said when first informed of the article. “The Washington Post cares about what goes on in San Antonio?” No joke: Kerr and Popovich met recently to discuss a matter more personal than basketball: After they learned that their repeated jokes about Steve’s son, Spurs video assistant Nick Kerr, having insider knowledge about Golden State had embarrassed Nick, Kerr and Popovich agreed to stop talking about Nick in interviews.

“He’s embarrassed by it,” Steve said. “He doesn’t want any attention. He loves his team. He’s dying to beat us just like we’re dying to beat them. He’s incredibly loyal to Pop and to the players, and I couldn’t be more proud of him. But he does not want any of this attention.

“I think the jokes may be over. I think we’ve got to move past that. Poor guy.”

Added Popovich: “We discussed that, and it was quite funny when we did it all, and everything. But there’s a limit to humor, and we decided that there were going to be no more of those sorts of jokes.”