NBA, Women's Basketball Players Pile On Tributes Following Minnesota ICE Shooting

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr was among the several sports figures Sunday to publicly criticize federal authorities following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, in Minneapolis.

Kerr lightened his tone on the polarizing debate on shootings and highlighted growing "misinformation."

"My concern as an American, we’re not perfect," Kerr said. "We’ve never been perfect. But I think our ideals have been in the right place for a long time, our values. And I think no matter what side of the aisle you stand on, I think remembering the values that come with the constitution, that come with citizenship, the values of looking after each other are so important right now, just because of the extremism that we can feel from all over the place. People are so angry.

"There should be an appeal to our better angels to look after one another and to recognize what’s happening. We’re being divided by media for profit, by misinformation. There’s so much out there that is really difficult for all of us to reconcile. In times like these, you have to lean on values and who you are and who you want to be — either as an individual or as a country. And I think that’s the biggest thing."

The shooting affected the NBA schedule on Saturday.

A game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors scheduled for Saturday was postponed. 

Before Sunday’s rescheduled matchup, the Timberwolves held a moment of silence for Pretti. During the pause, obscenities directed at ICE were audible from some fans at Target Center.

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch addressed the decision before the game, saying, "For the second time in less than three weeks, we’ve lost another member of our community in the most unimaginable way."

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -  JANUARY 25:  An overall view of the arena before the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 25, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Other athletes also weighed in. Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton wrote on social media, "Alex Pretti was murdered."

In the WNBA, Breanna Stewart appeared publicly holding a sign reading "ABOLISH ICE," saying she was "disgusted" by what she described as a "climate of hate," and calling for policies that "uplift our communities, not ones that hunt them down in the streets."

Federal and local accounts of the shooting have diverged. Federal officials said Pretti was an armed "rioter" who approached agents with a handgun.

In a joint statement, Minnesota’s five major professional sports teams called for "immediate de-escalation" and urged officials to pursue solutions to the violence in the city.

A federal judge has since issued a temporary restraining order barring the Department of Homeland Security from destroying or altering evidence related to the case.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 25: Demonstrators hold signs to protest the presence of federal agents in Minneapolis prior to the start of an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on January 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

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