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Several actors, writers and musicians had earlier expressed
their disappointment at Republican Trump's successful election,
with many having publicly supported Democratic candidate Hillary
Clinton beforehand.
A visibly shaken Van Gundy, however went further, and felt
Trump's rhetoric about women, ethnic minorities and immigrants
during the campaign would only damage the country.
"It's embarrassing. I can't say I've ever been ashamed of our
country until today," Van Gundy told reporters. "We just elected
an openly brazen racist, misogynist leader.
"What we have done to minorities and women in this election is
despicable. I'm having a hard time dealing with it.
"We have just thrown a good part of our population under the bus
and I have problems with thinking this is where we are as a
country."
Van Gundy, whose Pistons team is mostly African-American, added
he felt the U.S. could no longer claim to be a moral leader and
had disqualified itself from lecturing other countries on human
rights.
"I don't want to hear anything from our leaders talking to China
or anybody else about human rights abuses," he said.
"We need to keep our mouths shut and realize we need to be
learning maybe from the rest of the world because we ain't got
nothing to teach them."
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr was also dismayed at the
election result, though he spoke more diplomatically.
"I thought we were better than this," said Kerr.
"I have no idea what kind of president (Trump will be) but it's
tough when you want there to be some respect and dignity and
there hasn't been any.
"And you walk in and you see the faces of your players, and most
of them who have been insulted directly, as minorities. It's
sure shocking. It really is."
Golden State forward David West, however, felt Trump's election
was the manifestation of still simmering racial, ethnic and
class tensions in the country.
"This whole fairy tale about some post-racial utopia that Obama
supposedly created is all bull," he said.
"The things that he (Trump) said, the things that he
represented, that's the way that the majority of this nation
feels.
"I think he just emboldened them because he's able to say it
publicly. He got the platform."
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by
Greg Stutchbury)
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