Steph Curry has heard the demands to remain silent, to separate sports from politics. But the NBA star was having none of that on Veterans Day. In a column for The Players' Tribune, Curry wrote Saturday that accusations of him "disrespecting the military" were misguided, saying he cared "deeply" about veterans.
Curry addressed that and the attacks from President Donald Trump, who tweeted in September that the Curry's team, the Golden State Warriors, were no longer invited to attend the White House to celebrate their championship.
Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
"You know, I remember when I woke up on the morning that (I still can’t believe I’m saying these words) the President tweeted at me," Curry wrote. "You probably don’t need me to tell you this, but, man, it was … surreal. It was the morning before our first day of practice, so I was getting in a good sleep. And when I woke up — I mean before I even saw the tweet, or knew what was going on — I had about 30 text messages, all at once."
"Then finally I brought up Twitter, checked on my mentions and all of that — and I saw it," he added. "It was what it was."
Curry wrote that the people who voiced displeasure in his "opposition" to the White House were the people who say that pro athletes, when they engage in peaceful protest, "are disrespecting the military, our flag and our country."
The NBA star officially corrected the record.
When someone tells me that my stances, or athlete stances in general, are “disrespecting the military” — which has become a popular thing to accuse peaceful protestors of — it’s something that I’m going to take very, very seriously. One of the beliefs that I hold most dear is how proud I am to be an American — and how incredibly thankful I am for our troops. I know how fortunate I am to live in this country, and to do what I do for a living, and to raise my daughters in peace and prosperity. But I also hear from plenty of people who don’t have it nearly as good as I do. Plenty of people who are genuinely struggling in this country. Especially our veterans . . .
We hear all the time on TV and social media about “supporting our troops.” But it’s not just about saluting them or thanking them for their service at the airport — and it’s definitely not just about how we observe the national anthem . . . They need real help with medical services, and access to jobs, and readjusting to society.
Read Curry's full column here.
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