Steve Kerr, the coach of the Golden State Warriors, wore a shirt paying tribute to John Beam, a legendary football coach from Oakland who was tragically shot in his office on November 13, 2025. This senseless act of violence has sent shockwaves through the community, leaving many mourning the loss of a beloved figure.
Beam spent four decades coaching in the East Bay, first at Skyline High School and later at Laney College, where he retired and went on to become the athletic director. His impact on the Oakland community was immense, earning him recognition not just for his coaching prowess but also for his role in the popular Netflix documentary "Last Chance U."
For Kerr, who has had the privilege of knowing Beam through mutual friends, the news was a difficult pill to swallow. "It's a really difficult time for people in Oakland right now," Kerr said. "Coach Beam was a legend... a sad day, sad day for the Bay Area, and a sad day for coach Beam's family."
Kerr used his platform to address the larger issue of gun violence that claims so many lives in the city where the Warriors once called home. He emphasized the need for collective action to prevent such tragedies, saying, "Everybody knows he's a revered figure in Oakland, who did so much for so many people. On behalf of the Warriors, I want to extend our condolences, and remind everybody we have to be the change, as a community, as citizens, we have to be the ones who insist that we address gun violence issues."
As the Warriors took to the court in San Antonio, Kerr's tribute to Beam served as a poignant reminder of the coach's enduring legacy. Despite not having known him personally, Kerr understood the profound impact Beam had on those who knew and loved him. The outpouring of support for Beam underscores the importance of recognizing the value that individuals like him bring to their communities.
Beam spent four decades coaching in the East Bay, first at Skyline High School and later at Laney College, where he retired and went on to become the athletic director. His impact on the Oakland community was immense, earning him recognition not just for his coaching prowess but also for his role in the popular Netflix documentary "Last Chance U."
For Kerr, who has had the privilege of knowing Beam through mutual friends, the news was a difficult pill to swallow. "It's a really difficult time for people in Oakland right now," Kerr said. "Coach Beam was a legend... a sad day, sad day for the Bay Area, and a sad day for coach Beam's family."
Kerr used his platform to address the larger issue of gun violence that claims so many lives in the city where the Warriors once called home. He emphasized the need for collective action to prevent such tragedies, saying, "Everybody knows he's a revered figure in Oakland, who did so much for so many people. On behalf of the Warriors, I want to extend our condolences, and remind everybody we have to be the change, as a community, as citizens, we have to be the ones who insist that we address gun violence issues."
As the Warriors took to the court in San Antonio, Kerr's tribute to Beam served as a poignant reminder of the coach's enduring legacy. Despite not having known him personally, Kerr understood the profound impact Beam had on those who knew and loved him. The outpouring of support for Beam underscores the importance of recognizing the value that individuals like him bring to their communities.
just saw steve kerr pay tribute to john beam on his jersey it's crazy how much impact one person can have coach beam sounds like an amazing guy, four decades coaching and then going into athletics dir just shows how passionate he was about the community 
what really got me is kerr saying we gotta be the change and address gun violence issues in oakland. so true, we need to come together as a community and make a difference 
. Gun violence is such a huge issue in Oakland and it's just so sad that Coach Beam was a victim of it. I mean, he was doing some good work promoting football through "Last Chance U" on Netflix... you'd think that would help reduce gun violence. But I guess not 
. It's all about the guns, man. We need to be talking about how to address this problem and make our communities safer. Not just wearing a shirt to tribute him, which is nice and all, but actually doing something about it would be more meaningful 
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. Like, who does that?! It was so ridiculous but somehow hilarious at the same time. Anyway, back to Coach Beam... I'm really glad Steve Kerr is using his platform to talk about gun violence. It's such an important issue and we need more people speaking out like him. But, have you ever tried those new sour cream donuts from that trendy cafe downtown? Mind. Blown. 
I feel bad for Steve Kerr having to deal with this too, it must be really tough for him 
and y'know what really gets me is that Coach Beam was more than just a coach, he was a part of this community for so long, doing so much good work, and then he's taken away from us 
it's heartbreaking to think about how his life was cut short like that 
and Kerr wearing a shirt paying tribute to him is just beautiful 
especially when you consider what Beam meant to the Oakland community 
it's not just about mourning his loss, but about honoring his legacy and encouraging people to be the change 
we need to make a collective effort to address gun violence and make our communities safer for everyone 
and yeah kerr may not have known beam personally but he understands the impact beam had on people who knew him thats what matters 