NBA Star Steph Curry Says Athletes Don’t ‘Disrespect the Military’ & That Americans Need to Do More Than Thank Veterans for Their Service

Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry is a two-time NBA champion and two-time league MVP. He also became the focus of controversy this past September after President Donald Trump disinvited him from the traditional post-championship visit to the White House.

Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

The Warriors are off to another great start this season and Curry chose Veterans Day to respond to the controversy on the athlete-owned website The Players’ Tribune in a post called “The Noise.”

Curry makes two basic points:

Athletes are using their public platform to express support for those who are struggling, including many actual members of the military. The issues that inspired their protests are real and that there’s no disrespect for the military involved.

Americans who are making noise about who stands up for the anthem should focus on the concrete things our country should be doing to support those who serve.

Curry tells a story about meeting an Afghanistan veteran at his wife’s restaurant opening and learning about the issues faced by veterans of our contemporary wars. Curry was inspired to speak out now. Here’s a quote from the post:

"Instead, let’s respect — let’s celebrate — our veterans, by having a conversation about the actual ways that we as civilians, as their fellow Americans they’ve fought to protect, can hold up our end of the bargain. Let’s talk about the broken VA medical system, and traumatic brain injuries, and PTSD. But let’s also talk about homelessness, and unemployment, and mental health, and, yes, racial inequality."

Do you think Curry makes a good case for his motives? Should the military community embrace support from an athlete who’s used his public profile to protest the current administration but now wants to raise valid questions about the country’s obligations to its military veterans? Or maybe he doesn’t understand that anyone who believes he disrespected the flag is also going to believe he disrespected the military? Let us know what you think and sound off!