Political beliefs can end friendships, even in the NBA world. Sage Steele learned that the hard way. The former ESPN voice claims Doc Rivers and Steve Kerr treated her differently over her conservative views. What followed left her stunned, frustrated, and questioning the relationships she once valued.

In her latest revelation on The Rubin Report, Steele shared, “I would say just knowing that so many of them are full of s*** 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.”

Then she shared more insights on her experience with the former Milwaukee Bucks head coach. “These people that, especially Doc, used to call a friend and so forth. And then when I tell you, I’m going to show you later the DMs from this man that were- he doesn’t, he quit.” She went on, “He unfollowed me and all the things. He unblocked me. I mean, pages and pages of why I’m such an idiot to be a Republican or conservative and support Donald Trump.”

Sage Steele has spent years around some of the biggest names in the NBA, first as a reporter and later as one of ESPN’s most recognizable anchors. But some of those relationships changed as her political views became more public.

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The former ESPN anchor recently looked back on those relationships while discussing the political divide she saw inside sports. One NBA figure, in particular, stood out because Steele said she once considered him a friend.

Speaking on The Rubin Report, Steele named Doc Rivers and described a private fallout that she says left her with “pages and pages” of political messages from the former Milwaukee Bucks coach. She said, “These people that, especially Doc, used to call a friend and so forth,” before describing what she claimed happened after their political differences came to the surface.

However, her political beliefs haven’t aligned with Doc Rivers’, who has never sat in silence against the Republicans. And this is where Sage Steele has an issue. That is because Rivers repeatedly sent her political content instead of engaging in normal, friendly conversations about basketball or family. She felt disappointed because someone she considered a friend focused on criticizing her conservative views, making their relationship uncomfortable and strained.

“So I think that, again, that’s what turns people off with sports. So 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,” the former anchor shared. According to Sage Steele, some coaches make political statements without fully understanding the issues.

She believes they also share those views with players and staff, potentially creating pressure within the team and making athletes uncomfortable about expressing different political opinions.

“So those players are put in very difficult positions. Because if they speak up to someone like a Doc Rivers or, I don’t know, maybe how Steve Kerr handles that in his locker room. I mean, is that going to affect my playing time?” she shared her concern. “Like, they’re paying this coach $150 million, and they might be paying me a lot too, but I’m going to be safe, and I’m going to be quiet.”

What Sage Steele is trying to say is that coaches like Doc Rivers and Steve Kerr might affect a player’s floor time because of their opposing views. Now both Rivers and Kerr have been vocal politically.

Rivers has long been vocal about political and social issues. He backed Kamala Harris during the 2024 election and addressed racial injustice and police brutality in 2020. He has also criticized various government decisions. Meanwhile, Steve Kerr has built a similar reputation. The Warriors coach has spoken openly about gun control, social justice, and presidential politics. He also endorsed Harris at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Kerr later faced criticism after commenting on ICE during protests in Minnesota. He initially suggested the agency was overlooking violent offenders. However, he later admitted the statement was inaccurate. In January, before facing the Detroit Pistons at Chase Center, Kerr apologized and clarified his position. He said his concern involved citizens being detained improperly.

To be fair, politics and sports have never particularly been away from each other. But the alleged hypocrisy claims by Sage Steele are also something that one cannot truly ignore.