Warriors’ Steve Kerr on Texas school shooting: ‘When are we going to do something?’

DALLAS — Four hundred miles southwest of American Airlines Center , another American tragedy played out, rendering thoughts of basketball meaningless on Tuesday night.

“Since we left shootaround, 14 children were killed 400 miles from here, and a teacher,” said Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, his voice choking with emotion.

In the small city of Uvalde outside San Antonio, an 18-year-old with a weapon opened fire at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 21 people, including at least 18 school children. Authorities raised the death toll after Kerr spoke from the site of the NBA’s Western Conference finals.

Kerr, whose father Malcolm was assassinated when Steve Kerr was in college, is an outspoken critic of gun violence and of the politicians who abet it. In his words pregame he spoke directly to the camera and pounded his fist on the table.

“In the last 10 days, we’ve had elderly Black people killed in Buffalo. Asian churchgoers killed in Southern California. And now we have children murdered at school.

“When are we going to do something?” Kerr shouted, trembling with anger. “I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there. I’m sorry — I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough!”

Kerr lambasted the U.S. senators who refuse to vote on House Resolution 8, the background check bill that the House of Representatives passed. Kerr, who has become an expert on the issue of gun control, said that 90 percent of Americans, regardless of political party, want background checks.

“It’s been sitting there for two years and there’s a reason they won’t vote on it: to hold onto power,” Kerr said. “So, I ask you, Mitch McConnell, and all you senators, who refuse to do anything about the violence in school shootings and supermarket shooting.

“I ask you, are you going to put your own desire for power ahead of the lives of our children and our elderly and our churchgoers, because that’s what it looks like.”

Kerr continued, “Fifty senators in Washington are going to hold us hostage. They refuse to to even put it to a vote, despite what the American people want. They want to hold onto their own power. It’s pathetic. I’ve had enough.”

Kerr said his team would play the game. But he didn’t want the trivial matter of sports to overshadow yet another horrific and almost uniquely American event. Guns are the leading cause of death for U.S. children.

Kerr implored everyone listening to him to “think about your own child or grandchild, or mother or father, sister, brother. How would you feel if this happened to you today? We can’t get numb to this. We can’t sit here and just read about it go well, let’s have a moment of silence. Go Dubs. Come on, Mavs.”

There will be a moment of silence before the game. Some trite offerings of “thoughts and prayers,” will go up in the state that will host the NRA convention later in the week and whose governor has been a cheerleader for Texas gun sales.

How the players prepare themselves to play basketball in the shadow of such tragedy is a question.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd read a statement from the team in his pregame press conference, sending “condolences to our fellow Texans. We will keep them in our hearts, and we truly will play with heavy hearts tonight for our community and for the school.”

When Kidd was asked a basketball question, he seemed dumbfounded.

“What’s going on is a little bit more important than basketball,” he said. “I can’t really answer that question. It’s not important in this moment.”

“You know, we have kids,” he continued. “You just think about what could take place with any of your family or friends at a school. And so, we’re going to try to play the game. We have no choice. The game is not going to be canceled. But we have to find a way to be pros.

“But the news is what’s happening, not just here in Texas but throughout our country, is sad.”

Ann Killion is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: akillion@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annkillion