Who is Steve Kerr's father? Closer look at his unfortunate death by assassination
Steve Kerr has amassed an impressive basketball resume and has 10 championship rings from being a basketball player and a coach in the NBA. But before diving into a career in sports, Kerr also has an interesting family background where his father, Malcolm H. Kerr, is a well-respected figure in academics.
Malcolm was an American university professor who specialized in Middle Eastern Studies. He was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon and got his education at the American University of Beirut and John Hopkins University.
His academic career includes influential works such as 'The Arab Cold War' and 'Islamic Reform' with his candid and honest approach to address the Israeli-Arab conflict being highly commended. In 1972, he served as the president of the Middle Eastern Studies Association and an award was even named in his honor.
Malcolm H. Kerr held the presidential position at the American University of Beirut where he faced several challenges during the Lebanese Civil War. He gained international attention when, during the Israeli invasion, he allowed Lebanese residents to stay at the university and seek refuge.
However, not allowing the Israeli government to do an inspection led to his tragic demise as he was assassinated by gunmen on January 18, 1984. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility but the motives behind the murder remain uncertain.
"We got a phone call in the middle of the night from one of his colleagues at the American University about 3:00 AM," said Steve Kerr on how they knew his dad was killed. "I just remember basically, hysterically crying, not knowing what to do. It was something that you don't wish on anybody."
Moving on with his life, Steve Kerr had his eyes opened and became sensitive to gun violence whenever it was brought up in the news and has been advocating for stricter gun laws ever since.
"It gave me a perspective on life. Every time I hear somebody dying of gun violence, I think about my own experience and the shock and the pain that goes with it. And it is one of the reasons I've really taken on the gun violence prevention issue as kind of a pet project and something I really devote my time to," Steve Kerr added.
Steve Kerr reacts to the Israeli-Palestinian war
Steve Kerr was born in Beirut, Lebanon where he also spent most of his childhood. Having the news filled up with updates on what is going on with Israel and Palestine gives him a grim reminder of how his dad was assassinated at age 52.
"It's devastating. As it happens, it reminds me and my family of what happened to my dad. We understand the loss that so many people are feeling both in Israel and the Gaza Strip," said Steve Kerr. "It was devastating. The atrocities of the attack itself followed by 11 thousand Palestinians civilians being killed, there is no way around it. It was total devastation for everybody involved and it brings up a lot of really terrible memories for my family and me."
Kerr, now known more for his role as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, has been openly critical of Donald Trump and endorsed Joe Biden in 2020, apparently emphasizing truth and rejecting white supremacy. He strongly supports gun control, addressed the government's responses to school shootings and voiced his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.