Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is known for speaking his mind and did just that when it came to the NFL's new anthem policy.

"They're just playing to their fan base," Kerr said at shootaround on Thursday ahead of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals between his Warriors and the Houston Rockets. "Basically, just trying to use the anthem as fake patriotism, nationalism, trying to scare people. It's pathetic."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the details of the league's new policy, approved by league owners, on Wednesday with the league intending to try to move away from player protests of police brutality against black people through kneeling during the playing of the anthem before games. According to the new policy, players can choose to remain in the locker room for the playing of the anthem, but if they are on the field, they must stand during the anthem. Failure to comply will result in a 15-yard penalty to a player's team. The league will also allow individual teams to implement their own anthem policies.

Kerr says that he takes pride in the NBA being more socially conscious than the NFL.

"I'm proud to be in a league that understands patriotism in America is about free speech and peacefully protesting," Kerr said. "Our leadership in the NBA understands when the NFL players were kneeling, they were kneeling to protest police brutality, to protest racial inequality."

Kerr remained critical of U.S. President Donald Trump and his perceived role in the new policy.

"They weren't disrespecting the flag or the military," Kerr continued. "But our president decided to make it about that and the NFL followed suit, pandered to their fan base, created this hysteria."

The 52-year-old Kerr says that what the flag stands for is being perverted.

"It's kind of what's wrong with our country right now," Kerr said. "People in high places are trying to divide us, divide loyalties, make this about the flag as if the flag is something other than it really is - which is a representation of what we're about, which is diversity, peaceful protests, right to free speech. It's ironic actually."

Game 5 between the Warriors and Rockets goes Thursday night in Houston.