Anti-ICE Media Amplified Steve Kerr's Lies, But Ignored His Apology
In January, numerous news and sports outlets covered NBA coach Steve Kerr’s condemnation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Kerr described the shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis as "murder," using the term as a legal accusation, and claimed the agency was arresting innocent children.
"We’re really hopeful that the protests here and nationwide will lead to a much better solution for immigration. It’s not like they’re rooting out violent criminals. They’re taking five-year-old kindergartners, U.S. citizens, and detaining people," Kerr told reporters Jan. 27.
Kerr was referring to 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, whose illegal alien father abandoned him during his arrest by ICE on Jan. 20. The child was not detained. Agents ensured his safety.
On Friday, OutKick asked Kerr about those remarks and cited evidence showing ICE did not target the child and has arrested convicted murderers, sex offenders, and other violent criminals.
Kerr acknowledged the mistake and apologized.
"You’re right, I definitely misspoke, and I knew that ICE was arresting some criminals," Kerr said during Friday’s pregame session at Chase Center.
"I immediately regretted it because I knew that to be the case. My point is that they’re also arresting people and detaining citizens and people who should not be being detained. The manner in which they’re doing it is riling everybody up all over the country," he continued.
"Being in Minneapolis for those four days was incredibly emotional and powerful. It was a very difficult time for all of us. At the end of those four days, it was a pretty emotional time. I misspoke, and I apologize for the misinformation. I hope everybody else out there who’s saying stuff that’s not true, please apologize, too. All right, let’s talk about basketball."
OutKick respects Kerr for correcting the record. By contrast, fellow NBA coach Doc Rivers doubled down over the weekend on claims that ICE is "murdering" people and targeting random "brown people."
At a minimum, NBA coaches have a responsibility to get the facts straight, given the size of their platforms.
The media has a responsibility as well, including reporting updates when new information emerges, even if it complicates a preferred narrative.
The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, ESPN, and other outlets all covered Kerr’s remarks about ICE. None of them updated their coverage or reported on his apology and clarification. Two days later, many of those same outlets amplified Rivers standing by his dubious claims.
"Doc Rivers stands by calling ICE shooting in Minneapolis ‘straight-up murder,’" read a New York Times headline.
"Doc Rivers insists on calling Pretti, Good deaths murder at Celtics-Bucks tilt," USA Today reported.
The trend is obvious. NBA reporters are quick to amplify stories critical of ICE and the Trump administration, yet show little interest in reporting information that reflects favorably on ICE or contradicts earlier claims.
In other situations, the press might turn on a coach or athlete for correcting the record if doing so benefited ICE. In this case, however, journalists appeared to recognize the value of keeping Kerr, who had previously spoken in support of Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention, on their side.
As a result, many NBA fans who do not closely follow the news may still believe ICE avoids arresting violent criminals and targets kindergartners. That's on the reporters.
This is not about opinions. The criticism is about ignoring the facts (and Kerr’s updated comments) to preserve a storyline. Any journalist who does so is failing at the most basic function of the job.
Of course, this was all avoidable. There is no need for NBA coaches and players to comment as moral authorities on political and social issues. That's not their role in society. And it's evident that many of them don't know the facts.
Unfortunately, outside of OutKick, no major outlet appears willing to hold them accountable or even report when they admit they were wrong.