DALLAS – Stephen Curry looked his coach straight in the eye, accompanied by a firm handshake – without words, the relationship formed by these two men did not need verbal confirmation.
Usually boastful and always heard by Dallas Mavericks, PA announcer Sean Heath’s voice trembled as he called for a moment of silence before the Western Conference 4 finale, a rarity, though memories of mass shootings in the arena are as common as pyrotechnics. and the eardrum – explosive music.
It had to be anything but a game, and it was as if fog was all over the American Airlines Center on Tuesday night, with the Mavericks blocking the elimination and later escaping the Golden State Warriors’ reserves to board the 119-game series. 109 wins.
Curry was not in the room for Steve Kerr’s passionate request for gun laws, but he saw Kerr’s emotional, shocking challenge to Congress via Twitter and posted it on his account shortly before the game.
About 350 miles from Uwalde, closer to San Antonio than Dallas, Rob Elementary School has become the newest point on the map of the United States – stained by mass shootings that claimed at least 21 lives by midnight on Tuesday.
“I appreciate his leadership. “Everyone’s thinking about getting in the game,” Curry said. “It’s hard to stay focused on basketball. This happened in this state. I have children, I take them to school every day, I leave them. ”
And he expects them to return safely, every day.
The model is pathetic but familiar, which Curry’s son-in-law and teammate Damien Lee hinted at a few minutes later – waking up from a nap and checking Twitter, only to find out about another shooting at school. then checking with teammates during the bus trip to the arena, comparing notes and information.
By the time the game is over, it’s almost impossible to open a social media app and not see a stranger, but an innocent one – maybe a child with a long sign behind him or a teacher who died trying to save lives.
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The idea is as clear as it is inevitable, and fear usually does not lag behind the initial shock.
“It’s just sad. You saw Steve’s press before the game. These are my same feelings, “Lee said.” The world we live in is sad. We need to reform it. It’s easier to get a gun than formula. It’s amazing. “
Lee used aerial quotes when he said “the greatest country in the world,” a common trope used to contextualize or insincerely provide comfort to grieving citizens whose only power is to express anger and sadness on social media.
“Since we left the shooting, 14 children have been killed 400 miles from here and one teacher,” Kerr said hours earlier. “In the last 10 days, we have killed black adults in a supermarket in Buffalo, we have killed Asian church people in Southern California, now we have children killed in school.
“When are we going to do something? Feel tired. I am so tired of getting up here and offering my condolences to the devastated families who are there. I’m so tired. Excuse me. I’m sorry. I was tired of the moments of silence. That’s enough. “
Kerr called the senators by name, speaking from his own personal experience of his murdered father, Malcolm Kerr, in Beirut, when the Warriors coach was now a star athlete in Arizona.
“Every word he said was powerful, it made sense,” Curry said. “I accept this challenge, try to find ways to use my platform to make a difference. You can tell what it meant for him to get on the microphone to say what he said. I appreciate his leadership. “
It seems that the NBA did not think about postponing the game, partly because the postponement will take the season until August before the final, unfortunately, and so the game continued.
It would be unfair to attribute the result to the events of the day, because the Mavericks do what they always did when faced with elimination in these playoffs – they do everything. Luka Doncic did not have a superhuman night, but there was no need, with 30 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in the night below 40%.
The Warriors were not great in the final games of this playoff series – including the Memphis Grizzlies’ strike, with the Warriors trailing by 50.
No such mockery could be found here, as the starts were ineffective after the first quarter and largely took the loss by leaps and bounds. They led 16-13 and never again, barely registering as competitive until Golden State rookies Jonathan Cuminga and Moses Moody entered the game with a surge of energy.
Golden State Warriors striker Jonathan Cuminga was defended by Dallas Mavericks striker Davis Bertans during Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 24, 2022 in Dallas. (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)
The lead of 29 points dropped to eight, with the children showing an idea of what they can do when given a little time to play without looking too disturbed by the atmosphere of the playoffs. Cumming scored 17 with eight rebounds and Moody 10, scoring several corner threes that could be useful later.
“It’s great, they had the opportunity to go out there and make their presence feel, influence the game,” Curry said. “Build a little confidence and a little experience in this series and how it feels to be there.”
The most sobering statistic of all is this: Curry was still a talented stranger dealing with ankle problems, Cumming was four years old from moving to the States, and Moody was still out of high school when this gun control discussion took place. reached the turning point at Sandy Hook in Connecticut in December 2012, when 6-year-olds were shot dead.
The problem is no closer to completion now than it was then, hence Kerr’s anger as he pounded on the desk before the game, frustrated and angry.
Both teams played and committed on Tuesday, which is more than anyone can say about the people in power.
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