Former ESPN broadcaster Sage Steele has revealed that prominent NBA head coaches turned on her after she publicly expressed support for President Donald Trump. Speaking in an interview on political talk show 'The Rubin Report', the former SportsCenter anchor said former friends in professional basketball cut ties with her over her conservative political views.
Steele identified Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and former NBA head coach Doc Rivers as coaches who sent her angry messages after she voiced her political beliefs.
She disclosed that Rivers sent her "pages and pages of why I'm such an idiot to be a Republican or conservative and support Donald Trump" before unfollowing her on social media platforms.
Reflecting on the hostile reaction from figures she once considered close, Steele said: "Just knowing that so many of them are full of s-t with what they say versus what they do. And seeing the passive aggressiveness from some of these head coaches, whether it's Steve Kerr or Doc Rivers, these people that I used to call a friend, especially Doc."
Steele explained that Rivers would contact her unexpectedly with political material. "Out of the blue, he would send me clips, and I'm like, 'I just want to talk basketball with you' or 'How are your kids? You have grandkids now,'" she recalled.
According to Steele, Rivers repeatedly expressed disappointment over her political stance. "And instead it's, 'I'm so disappointing in the sellout thing' with a coach. I think that again, that's what turns people off with sports," Steele said. She added: "It doesn't mean you can't have that opinion. I did too. I just happened to not do it when I was working in sports."
Impact on NBA locker rooms
Steele also raised concerns about how political climate affects active players in the National Basketball Association, speculating that players with conservative views may be afraid to share their opinions publicly out of fear of reduced playing time.
She questioned how coaches handle political differences with their squads, stating: "And so when they say these things and they're quite uneducated about it and then they're saying it to their guys too and their staff. So those players are put in very difficult positions because if they speak up to someone like a Doc Rivers or Steve Kerr, I don't know how he handles that in his locker room, but is that going to affect my playing time?"
Departure from ESPN network
The former broadcaster added that she does not miss working at ESPN after leaving the sports network in 2023. Steele had previously filed a lawsuit against ESPN in 2021 after being removed from the air following public comments she made regarding the network's COVID-19 vaccination policy.
ESPN is a major American sports cable channel owned by The Walt Disney Company, where Steele worked as a premier anchor. The NBA is North America's top basketball league, featuring 30 teams across the United States and Canada.
Rivers is a veteran NBA coach who led the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship in 2008, while Kerr has guided the Golden State Warriors to four titles since becoming head coach in 2014.
