Former Golden State Warriors part-owner Chamath Palihapitiya went off on Steve Kerr with a scorching post on X Friday.
Kerr showed support for Harvard University by wearing a Harvard Basketball shirt on Wednesday. The Trump administration has targeted Harvard, as well as other universities, over a number of issues, and have frozen federal funds to such schools.
Kerr has long made his political opinions clear and did so again while speaking with the media on Wednesday.
“It’s crucial for all of our institutions to be able to handle their own business the way they want to, and they should not be shaken down and told what to teach — what to say — by our government,” the Warriors head coach said. “Way to go, way to stand up to the bully.”
In response, Palihapitiya called Kerr a “hapless rube.” He countered Kerr’s comments with several arguments.
Steve Kerr is a hapless rube.
— Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath) April 18, 2025
He is blindly defending an institution that:
1) Is a Corporation with a $53B balance sheet masquerading as a non profit.
2) Has the absolute worst scores for freedom of speech amongst ALL colleges in America.
3) Was admonished and defeated by… https://t.co/1hTBWWNmYA
Palihapitiya concluded that Kerr’s comment included “total ignorance.”
Palihapitiya, 48, was an early executive at Facebook, and later ran a venture capital fund. He acquired a 10 percent stake in the Warriors in 2011.
