Warriors’ Stephen Curry expresses support for Minneapolis protests

After the Golden State Warriors’ 111-85 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, following the NBA rescheduling the game in the wake of Alex Pretti’s killing at the hands of federal immigration officers, Stephen Curry expressed his support for the protests happening in Minneapolis as a result of the turmoil.

“In negative 10-degree weather, it was beautiful to see that turnout,” Curry said. “Speaks to how important it felt to those people to have their voice heard, and in those elements, in whatever streets that were outside our hotel. They were out, and it was amazing to watch.”

It’s been a tumultuous month for the people of Minneapolis as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents continue to occupy the city, creating widespread turmoil and unrest as a result.

In addition to Pretti’s death, in which DHS agents surrounded the 37-year-old nurse, forced him to the ground, and shot him 10 times, earlier this month, ICE agents shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good as she drove away from a group of officers, which was caught on video by multiple onlookers.

Good’s death was one of the catalysts for a state-wide general strike from Minnesotans this past week.

“There’s a lot of heavy hearts,” Curry said. “Yesterday was rough. It’s been rough, I know out here. And you can kind of feel [that when] we got here, two days ago, [with] the protests that were going on downtown. It was amazing to watch the turnout, the peaceful protest, and the unified voice that was here. And you feel like that would kind of turn the tide into a more positive direction.”

Curry has long been a vocal advocate for community activism. In 2020, Curry participated in the Black Lives Matter protests in Oakland and Palo Alto. And in 2023, the NBA recognized Curry with the 2022-23 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award.

How both teams handled the rescheduled game

The Warriors and T-Wolves were in constant communication in the hours before the NBA postponed their game Saturday afternoon. After speaking to Curry and the team, Steve Kerr talked to Wolves’ coach Chris Finch and wing Joe Ingles, with both expressing their discomfort with playing in the wake of Pretti’s killing.

But even after the Warriors-Wolves played their rescheduled game, both teams noted the somber atmosphere of the arena, a sign of the shadow looming over the city.

“I thought the vibe in the stands, it was one of the most bizarre, sad games I’ve been a part of,” Kerr described. “You could feel the somber atmosphere… We could tell [the Timberwolves] were struggling with everything that’s been going on, what the city has been through.”

The Warriors won handily by forcing the Timberwolves into 26 turnovers, with Curry leading them with a team-high 26 points. But with the morose vibe of the Target Center, basketball seemed secondary to the ongoing situation in Minneapolis. In his same presser, Curry remained vocal in his support of the protesters and the Minneapolis community.

“There’s a lot of change that needs to happen,” Curry said. “And when you’re here, and you feel it, I was glued to the TV yesterday when we weren’t playing. Just watching the coverage and understanding what was going on and trying to really get knowledgeable about it. Hopefully, again, the community kind of comes together, and the right decisions are made so that there’s more of a peaceful environment here.”

Golden State will play Minnesota tomorrow in a back-to-back rematch.

The post Warriors’ Stephen Curry expresses support for Minneapolis protests appeared first on ClutchPoints.