Former ESPN broadcaster Sage Steele has stated that NBA coach Doc Rivers criticized her conservative political views and support for Donald Trump in direct messages. Steele made these claims during an interview with "The Rubin Report," detailing what she described as "passive aggressiveness from NBA coaches."
Steele, who previously worked at ESPN for 16 years before leaving in August 2023, said Rivers sent her "pages and pages" explaining why he believed her political stance was misguided. She characterized these messages as stemming from a place of disappointment and cited them as an example of what she believes turns people off from sports.
Steele, who had filed a lawsuit against ESPN following her removal from air in October 2021 due to comments about the network's COVID-19 vaccine policy, stated that she left the network to exercise her First Amendment rights more freely. She also speculated that athletes with conservative views might fear professional repercussions, such as reduced playing time, if they publicly express their opinions.
"Just knowing that so many of them are full of s–t with what they say versus what they do," Steele said. "And seeing the passive aggressiveness from some of these head coaches, whether it’s Steve Kerr or Doc Rivers — these people that I used to call a friend, especially Doc."
She described receiving messages from Rivers that included criticism like "I’m so disappointing in the sellout thing" when she wanted to discuss basketball or personal matters. Steele suggested that coaches speaking on political matters in an uneducated way can put players in difficult positions regarding their playing time and public expression of views.
