As NBA games resume, Minneapolis remains gripped with tension. The Timberwolves, joined by the Lynx and other Minnesota sports organizations, are mourning the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday. Steve Kerr had something impactful to say to every American.

The Timberwolves and Warriors were scheduled to play on January 24. Pretti was killed only a few hours before tip-off. The NBA decided to postpone the game, a decision Kerr, alongside Chris Finch and the Wolves, also supported as protests around the city grew. They’re playing that game today, but the tensions have since grown.

“I feel for the city. There’s a pall that has been cast over the city. You can feel it,” Kerr said during his pre-game press conference. “My concern as an American, we’re not perfect, we never have been perfect, but I think our ideals have been in the right place for a long time, our values.”

Known for his advocacy on social issues, Kerr repeated a similar message to what he said on MLK Day.

“I think remembering the values that come with the Constitution, that come with citizenship, the values of looking after each other, are so important right now just because of the extremism that we can feel from all over the place,” Kerr continued. “We are being divided by media for profit, by misinformation.”

Kerr expressed deep concern over division within the community.

“I think that’s the biggest thing, and that’s what’s so sad about all this is, like, we’re at each other’s throats right now, you can’t just say ‘I’m right and the other person’s wrong,'” Kerr said. “Not in this current climate of non-stop news flooding at us.”

The 5x NBA champion concluded his remarks by urging the community to lean on each other amid conflicting reports.

For the Warriors, coming back to Minnesota, where they played the 2025 Western Conference semifinals, has been a completely different experience this season.

The Timberwolves join NBA fans and Minnesota locals in grief

The postponement was a collaborative decision between the league and both teams to prioritize the safety of fans and personnel. But the grief over Pretti’s death is still fresh, and the community is reacting in a big way.

Finch revealed that it’s been “hard to watch” the situation unfold. He and Kerr met with the players on Saturday to discuss the postponement. The Warriors have been observing the protests on the streets and outside the Target Center since.

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The community was reeling from the fatal shooting of local resident Renee Good earlier this month. At the time, Kerr had urged the people not to get carried away by misinformation. The Timberwolves game against the Cleveland Cavaliers went on, holding a special tribute to Good.

The current set of back-to-back games is a lot worse. As players warm up and train, protesters outside the Target Center continue to chant. The stands are being filled with spectators wearing protest-themed t-shirts. Even the Wolves Dunk Team has joined in.

“I thought the vibe in the stands, it was one of the most bizarre, sad games I’ve been a part of,” Kerr said of the atmosphere. “You could feel the somber atmosphere…We could tell they were struggling with everything that’s been going on, what the city has been through.”

The team held a moment of silence for Pretti tonight as well.