Steph Curry Called Sports Illustrated’s Protest Cover That Left Out Kaepernick ‘Terrible’

The protests of police brutality and racial inequality started by Colin Kaepernick a year ago, in which he knelt during the national anthem prior to 49ers games, reached a critical mass over the weekend. After Donald Trump called for owners to fire the “sons of bitches” kneeling during the anthem, nearly every team in the league participated in some form of protest or “show of unity” during the anthem over the weekend, with some owners, including Jerry Jones, getting involved.

While the NFL was dealing with its own firestorm relating to the president, so was the NBA. Trump also ripped Steph Curry after the Warriors’ star said he didn’t want to go to the White House, choosing to try and revoke the Warriors invitation a day after it had been refused. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and others came to Curry’s defense, continuing the year-long theme of athletes becoming more and more comfortable speaking out against the president.

On Tuesday night, Sports Illustrated revealed their latest cover, which read “A Nation Divided, Sports United,” with a number of prominent sports figures with arms locked, as we saw from so many NFL teams over the weekend. It was meant as a powerful message, but quickly found itself at the center of backlash and ridicule.

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There were a number that pointed out the problematic nature of the cover. From putting Roger Goodell on the front line, considering he and the NFL’s general lack of any real support to players protesting and the cause they’re bringing attention to, to Colin Kaepernick’s stunning omission from the cover, being that he’s the one that started most of this.

Steph Curry is front and center on the cover, with LeBron to his right and Goodell to his left, and he didn’t hold back when asked for his thoughts on the cover, calling it “terrible” and noting that it was ignoring who began the movement and those that truly were pushing for a difference.

“That was terrible,” Curry said. “Just kinda capitalizing on the hoopla and the media and all that nonsense. The real people that are understanding exactly what’s been going on and who’s really been active and vocal and truly making a difference. If they don’t have Kaepernick front and center on that then something’s wrong. So, it’s kind of hard to see how certain narratives take place, being prisoners of the moment. I was kinda joking around yesterday when I saw that on a certain Instagram handle. At the end of the day, that stuff really doesn’t matter. It’s about the true message and really highlighting the people doing the right things.”

Steve Kerr had similar questions about Kaepernick’s absence from the cover.

Curry’s feelings echo those of so many, but for him to say it, as one of the people prominently featured on the front, means a little more. As he notes, the message of the protests has become lost and he wants to ensure the wrong narrative doesn’t take over. The protests have never been about the anthem or the flag, but about bringing attention to problems in this country that are anti-American.

Until Sunday, they weren’t even directly pointed towards Donald Trump and may fear the idea of kneeling being “anti-Trump” will suddenly wash away the original message. Curry simply wants the right people getting credit and the original message to not get lost.