Warriors Coach Steve Kerr's Tragic Family History Helps Him Keep Everything In Perspective
The NBA finals tip off Wednesday.
That's where Steve Kerr hopes to lead the Warriors in the near future.
Kerr's basketball history is well-documented but there is another part of his past that had an enormous impact on the entire Kerr family.
His father, Dr. Malcolm Kerr was president of American University in Beirut, where Steve was born in 1965.
Before becoming an American basketball star, Steve was raised in Tunisia, France, and spent his freshman year of high school in Egypt. His world experience gave him a gift of understanding people, and compassion.
When he was 14, Steve's dad came home pumping his fist, saying there would finally be "peace in the middle east." He'd been with Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and they had signed the Camp David Accords.
That high point did not last. In 1984, Steve's father was assassinated by terrorists in the Middle East.
It was horrific for Steve. "It doesn't get any worse than that," he said.
Steve said his father's death made him understand the pain that others experience and the affect that death can have.
"I've been trying to make the world a better place, and unite people," said Steve.
In fact, Steve's whole family has been doing the same thing. His sister is a local politician in England. His mom writes books, and directs the Fulbright Scholarship program at UCLA, trying to bring people together.
The family even wrote a book together entitled, "One Family's Response to Terrorism."
Steve seems to keep everything in perspective.
"They do important stuff, I don't," said Steve. "I'm really proud of them."
