Steve Kerr was prepared for the backlash he would face. He anticipated it and saw it coming.

“I can predict the ‘shut up and whistle’ tweets flying in as we speak,” Kerr stated. “But the importance of speaking out in such a significant election as an American citizen is paramount.”

Kerr shared these thoughts during his impactful speech at the Democratic National Convention on Monday.

While we won’t name the individuals or groups targeting Kerr, they’re easy to find online. It’s the same usual suspects.

The criticism aimed at Kerr has escalated more than usual (and that’s saying something) because he spoke at the convention and was as effective as ever. However, the intensified criticism stems from more than just his DNC speech.

It connects with a longstanding truth about Kerr that resonates with the right: they are genuinely afraid of him.

In fact, they’re terrified. The right wing has an aversion to all progressive athletes, but their animosity towards Kerr is particularly intense. Why is that?

Kerr embodies a nightmare for individuals like Donald Trump and media outlets like Fox News because he is a supporter of Black and brown Americans. Trump’s strategy involves creating division between white individuals and people of color. This divisive tactic faces challenges when allies like Kerr advocate for those whom the right perceives as adversaries.

Kerr acts as a deterrent to this divisive narrative. It’s tough to maintain an us-versus-them mentality when someone who looks like ‘us’ is standing next to ‘them.’

Kerr is not just a prominent political activist; he stands out as one of the most significant white activists of our time. This makes it harder for opponents to vilify him compared to figures like Colin Kaepernick. The right’s frustration stems from Kerr refusing to conform to their expectations. In their eyes, he should be a Trump supporter, not a vocal advocate for leftist causes and politicians like Kamala Harris.

Additionally, another factor that frightens the right is Kerr’s effectiveness as a speaker. He has a natural talent for it.

This has been true for quite some time. Kerr criticized Trump shortly after the former president used offensive language against NFL players who protested, particularly targeting Kaepernick.

“One reason our team struggles with the president is his continued effort to stir conflict instead of promoting unity,” Kerr remarked on CNN’s with David Axelrod. “His tweets highlight this daily. Calling NFL players who are protesting injustice ‘sons of b——‘? Really? You’re the president, and that’s how you refer to them? That’s incredibly hard to accept.”

“How can a president label peaceful protestors—an essential part of American democracy—in such an insulting way? That was particularly difficult to digest. Personal attacks from Trump might start to feel routine, but that one hit hard because it was filled with division and anger that made no sense.”

Coach Steve Kerr supports Kamala Harris for President and tells Donald Trump ‘night night.’

Kerr is also a major proponent of gun control, expressing strong outrage in response to a tragic school shooting in Texas.

“Since our last shootaround, 14 children were lost, along with a teacher, just 400 miles away. In the previous ten days, elderly Black individuals were murdered in Buffalo, and Asian churchgoers were targeted in California, and now we have children killed in a school shooting.”

“When will we take action?” Kerr demanded, pounding his fist on the table. “I’m exhausted from continually standing in front of the press to express condolences to the grieving families.”

That’s Kerr for you—a thoughtful, articulate, and reflective individual who refuses to be silenced.

And that is precisely why he poses a threat to the right wing.