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NBA coaches get political, accuse ICE of ‘murder’

January 12, 2026 | | Print Article

Professional basketball coaches came under fire after making public statements about how an ICE agent committed “straight up murder” last week in Minnesota.

Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr got political during press conferences where they spouted off about the incident, blasting President Donald Trump’s administration, playing the race card, and dragging the sports world into the debate.

“What happened in Minnesota was a straight-up murder, in my opinion,” Rivers said about the Minnesota shooting.

“It’s awful. This lady was probably trying to go home, and she didn’t make it home, and that’s really sad. The whole ICE thing is, it’s a travesty,” he continued, evidently missing some key facts on the incident.

“It’s clear to me we’re attacking brown people, and I just happen to be brown,” Rivers said as he spoke of the death of Renée Nicole Good, who was white. “I don’t think it should just be brown people who are upset at this. I think we all have to be.”

Former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich suggested the NBA is walking into a defamation case with coaches like Rivers.

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“The @NBA is trotting out woke coach after woke coach to defame an American law enforcement officer as part their contractually required post game press conferences,” Budowich wrote in an X post reacting to Rivers’ comments. “Coaches and players get fined for minor criticism of referees, but you’ll see none of that here because they want it. It’s ok, those fines won’t hold a candle to the defamation judgment the NBA is walking into.”

Rivers was not alone in his shameful take as Kerr also weighed in during a press conference, where he accused the ICE agent who fired at Good in self-defense of getting away with murder.

“It’s shameful, really, that in our country, we can have law enforcement officers who commit murder and seemingly get away with it,” said Kerr, who spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and joined a “No Kings” rally in October.

“It’s shameful that the government can come out and lie about what happened when there’s video and witnesses who have all come out and disputed what the government is saying,” Kerr said, despite the fact that videos seem to confirm that Good struck the ICE officer with her SUV after obstructing traffic.

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“So, very demoralizing — devastating to lose anyone’s life, especially in that manner. So it’s terrible, terribly sad for her family, and for her, and that city,” Kerr continued.

The coach earned plenty of criticism on social media.

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Rivers was also bashed on X for his factually inaccurate narrative.

Frieda Powers
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