Warriors G Stephen Curry "usually avoids sharing his political thoughts publicly," so to hear him speak frankly in response to Under Armour Founder, Chair & CEO Kevin Plank's comments praising President Trump was a "step forward for the mega star," according to a Q&A with Marcus Thompson II of the EAST BAY TIMES. To learn of Curry's "sense his urgency to get a full grasp on Plank’s comments, and whether the Under Armour mission had changed, revealed a more bold Curry." He said, "It was surprising because I know my experience with Under Armour and Kevin -- and really everybody in leadership and everybody on my team that I work with on a daily basis on my product and our storytelling, our brand -- we share a lot of the same values." Curry added, "Every mantra that I live by, they share that. And so when you blur the lines of business and politics, there is an opportunity for things to get muddy and that’s what happened with KP’s comment." Curry said Plank "called me last night to explain what happened, his side of the story. I was trying to understand exactly how he got into that situation." When asked if he was happy to see Plank clarify his statement and if he demanded it, Curry said, "It’s tough because this is his business that he runs and leads and so there is a huge responsibility in terms of that. Everything he says obviously has an effect on that." Curry: "When it comes to immigration, when it comes to how Trump has positioned himself, being unapologetic on that front, I know (Plank) doesn’t stand for that at all." When asked if he would leave an endorsement that is not aligned with his beliefs, Curry said, "If something is not in line with what I’m about, then, yeah. I definitely need to take a stance in that respect" (EAST BAY TIMES, 2/9).
PRIORITIES FIRST: In Baltimore, Barker & Mirabella in a front-page piece note UA "moved quickly" yesterday to "contain a social media backlash" in response to Plank's comments about Trump. In a 280-word statement, UA said, "We engage in policy, not politics" (Baltimore SUN, 2/9). A Baltimore SUN editorial states, "Time will tell whether aligning Under Armour with a deeply polarizing and increasingly unpopular president is a good business strategy" (Baltimore SUN, 2/9).
COACHES CORNER: In S.F., Connor Letourneau notes Warriors coach Steve Kerr was "pleased" with Curry voicing his opinion. Kerr: "Our players are grown men. They have a microphone in front of them every day. They’re welcome to say whatever they want. I’m proud of them. They’ve done an amazing job of representing themselves and our team." He added, "This is a time when people are speaking out. This is a time when activism is into the forefront, all over the map. It’s an open forum, so players can say whatever they want" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/9). In Chicago, K.C. Johnson notes Kerr is suddenly "adding a new line to his resume, that of a passionate voice in the current polarizing political climate." Kerr: "Our country has sort of devolved into almost like a war of criticism with people hiding behind their phones and laptops and really getting vicious with one another. You've seen that trend the last few years." Kerr added, "One of the reasons I'm comfortable speaking out about gun control and immigration is my family history has been directly affected by those issues" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/9).
THE KING CHIMES IN: Cavaliers F LeBron James in a Q&A with the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Marisa Guthrie said of Trump's executive order on immigration, "I am not in favor of this policy or any policy that divides and excludes people. I stand with many, many Americans who believe this does not represent what the United States is all about. And we should continue to speak out about it" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 2/17 issue). In Cleveland, Joe Vardon noted James made the comments ahead of receiving the Jackie Robinson Award at the NAACP's Image Awards Ceremony this Saturday (CLEVELAND.com, 2/8).
JUST GETTING STARTED: In S.F., Scott Ostler writes, "If you’re one of those people who prefers a separation of politics and sports, be advised to avert your eyes and ears for at least the next four years." Ostler: "This might be the end of the Curry-UA furor, but the fun is only just beginning" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/9). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio wrote under the header, "How Long Will NFL Players Avoid 'Distraction' Of 'Politics?" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 2/8).
