Steve Kerr dons Harvard shirt in response to Trump's federal funding freeze: 'Stand up to the bully'

"Is something going on?" he jokingly asked, drawing laughter from the media.

"[Harvard coach] Tommy Amaker is a friend of mine. He sent me this shirt, and it felt like a great day to wear it," Kerr added. "I believe in academic freedom. I believe it's crucial for all of our institutions to be able to handle their own business the way they want to, and they should not be shaken down and told what to teach, what to say, by our government. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, but it's kind of par for the course right now. This is me supporting Harvard. 

"Way to go, way to stand up to the bully."

Kerr, whose father Malcolm was a professor in the Middle East and was assassinated in 1984, has long opposed Trump. Kerr endorsed Kamala Harris for the 2024 election.

Kerr spoke to reporters after his Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament to earn the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Garber said the federal government has threatened partnerships with several universities, including Harvard, over accusations of antisemitism on campuses. He also noted that the Trump administration issued an updated and expanded list of demands, saying if the school plans to maintain a financial relationship with the federal government, it must comply.

Earlier this month, a federal antisemitism task force announced a review of Harvard's federal grants and contracts, worth nearly $9 billion, as the university faces an investigation into campus antisemitism. 

Fox News' Greg Wehner, CB Cotton, Alexis McAdams and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.