"Brings back a lot of terrible memories": Steve Kerr says violence in Israel and Gaza reminds him of his father's death

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke about the ongoing conflict happening at the Gaza Strip. He underscored how there is no going around it and how it reminded him and his family of a personal tragedy.

Speaking on the newly launched CNN show “King Charles” of NBA legend Charles Barkley and Gayle King, Kerr expressed his sadness at the loss of lives due to the ongoing conflict.

The four-time NBA champion coach said:

“Well it’s devastating. And, of course, as it is happening, it reminds me and my family of what happened to my dad. So we understand the loss that so many people are feeling, both in Israel and the Gaza Strip. It is just devastating.”

“The atrocities of the attacks itself, followed up by 11,000 Palestinian civilians being killed. There’s no way around it. It’s just total devastation for everybody involved. It really brings back a lot of terrible memories for my family and me.”

Steve Kerr lost his father, Malcolm H. Kerr, in 1984 after he was assassinated by the militant group Islamic Jihad while he was the president of the American University of Beirut. As per reports, the incident was part of the terrorist group’s goal of “not having a single American or Frenchman will remain on this (Lebanon) soil.”

Kerr was then still a freshman at the University of Arizona and recalled how devastated he was when he learned of his father’s tragic death. Basketball, however, provided a refuge for him amid all that had happened.

Warriors’ Steve Kerr champions gun control

Having firsthand experience of losing someone through gun violence, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has made his cause to rally behind gun control.

The outspoken coach has previously made it clear that his push for gun control awareness and legislation is inspired by the assassination of his father.

In the past couple of years, he has made it a point to use his platform as an NBA coach to advance his cause, more so with a slew of gun violence happening in different parts of the United States.

In an interview with PBS last year, Steve Kerr shared:

“I do have a platform, I should probably say something and I've been an advocate ever since. Because my dad died that way. And because it's such an enormous problem in our country. That's become my sort of pet project.”

Check out what he had to say below, beginning at 3:10: