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Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr on Tuesday attempted to distance himself from the harsh remarks made by team minority owner Chamath Palihapitiya during a podcast interview.
Palihapitiya said on the "All-In Podcast" on Saturday that "nobody cares" about the plight and human rights abuses Uyghur Muslims are facing in China. The comments set off a firestorm and warranted a comment from Kerr, who is never one to shy away from hot-button issues.
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Chamath Palihapitiya, co-founder and chief executive officer of Social+Capital Partnership LLC, speaks during a Bloomberg Technology television interview at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit in San Francisco, California, on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"He doesn't speak for our organization. All of us within the organization feel very strongly about our values," Kerr told reporters, via the San Francisco Chronicle.
Palihapitiya, the Warriors’ part-owner and founder and CEO of Social Capital, attempted to clarify his scathing remarks about the human rights abuses faced by Uyghur Muslims in China on Monday. He made his initial remarks after his cohost praised President Biden for his decision to ban the import of goods made through forced Uyghur labor.
"Nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs, OK? You bring it up because you really care, and I think it’s nice that you care. The rest of us don’t care. I’m just telling you a very hard, ugly truth. Of all the things that I care about, yes, it is below my line. Of all the things that I care about, it is below my line," Palihapitiya said.
When cohost David Sacks said it’s just not top of mind for most people, Palihapitiya pushed back.
WARRIORS PART-OWNER AND VENTURE CAPITALIST ATTEMPTS TO CLARIFY SCATHING REMARKS ON UYGHUR MUSLIMS
Chamath Palihapitiya, founder and chief executive officer of Social Capital LP, speaks during the 21st annual Sohn Investment Conference in New York on Wednesday, May 4, 2015. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"That’s not caring. … I care about the fact that our economy can turn on a dime if China invades Taiwan. I care about climate change. I care about America’s crippling and decrepit health care infrastructure. But if you ask me do I care about a segment of a class of people in another country? Not until we can take care of ourselves will I prioritize them over us," Palihapitiya said.
"And I think a lot of people believe that, and I’m sorry if that’s a hard truth to hear, but every time I say that I ‘care about the Uyghurs’, I’m really just lying if I don’t really care, and so I rather not lie to you and tell you the truth. It’s not a priority for me."
Calacanis called it a "sad state of affairs" when human rights issues are being put on a back burner. Palihapitiya called it a "luxury belief."
"That’s another luxury belief. And the reason I think it’s a luxury belief is because we don’t do enough domestically to actually express that view in real tangible ways. So until we actually clean up our own house, the idea that we step outside of our borders with us sort of morally virtue signaling about somebody else’s human rights track record it’s deplorable," he added.
After the backlash, he issued a statement.
"In re-listening to this week’s podcast, I recognize that I come across as lacking empathy. I acknowledge that entirely," he said in the statement Monday. "As a refugee, my family fled a country with its own set of human rights issues, so this is something that is very much a part of my lived experience.
"To be clear, my belief is that human rights matter, whether in China, the United States, or elsewhere. Full stop."
The Warriors also released a statement earlier in the day, distancing themselves from the remarks.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr scratches his head during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
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"As a limited investor who has no day-to-day operating functions with the Warriors, Mr. Palihapitiya does not speak on behalf of our franchise, and his views certainly don’t reflect those of our organization," the Warriors said in a statement.
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