Steve Kerr revealed that the wildfires that swept through the Los Angeles area destroyed his childhood home and high school.
The Palisades Fire continues to wreak havoc in Los Angeles County. The house where he grew up and where his mother, Ann Kerr, still resides, is one of countless structures destroyed so far.
Speaking to the media earlier this week, Kerr revealed how difficult it has been to watch the calamity devastate his hometown.
“It's been tough,” Kerr shared. 'My family is fine. My mom is in good hands, but her house is gone. So I've been talking on the phone to my brothers quite a bit.'
“You know, family calls with my mom,” he continued. “But she has a lot of support and friends, so she is safe and sound.” But you know, that's my hometown. All my friends who are from there, practically all of them, have lost their homes.'
Kerr attended Palisades Charter High School and said fires have engulfed the school. However, he is glad that his family, friends and most members of the community are safe.
Steve Kerr revealed that his childhood home and high school were burned down in Los Angeles.
The Palisades Fire continues to wreak havoc in Los Angeles County and force residents to evacuate
'Family homes, childhood homes, our entire high school is gone. Our city seems to have been completely razed. Surreal and devastating. But fortunately almost all of them escaped.
The Chicago Bulls legend also shared how the Los Angeles disaster reminded him of the Lahaina fires that claimed 102 lives in 2023. CNN reported at least 10 deaths as casualty numbers remain unclear in southern California.
“The pictures remind me of Lahaina from a couple years ago,” Kerr shared. “I'm very happy that there was no loss of life that people in Hawaii experienced.”
'But it's hard to even imagine how Pacific Palisades will rebuild and become a thriving community again. “It’s just shocking.”
“A lifetime of memories and occasions,” Kerr added. 'Birthday parties and everything else. “Seeing the destruction, the devastation, is unfathomable.”
Following Golden State's victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, Kerr added that the scenes in Los Angeles are apocalyptic amid the tragedy.
“It's an idyllic place,” Kerr shared. 'It's a beautiful town, sunsets every night. Just amazing memories. My father taught at UCLA, so that trip from Pacific Palisades down Sunset Boulevard to the UCLA campus is one I've made a million times.
'So many great memories. Then seeing the images of Sunset Boulevard and the Palisades is simply stunning. It seems apocalyptic. Devastating.'
Kerr's father, Malcolm H. Kerr, was also president of the Middle East Studies Association in 1972. He was tragically shot to death by two gunmen in front of his office during the Lebanese Civil War in 1984, while Steve was playing college basketball in the University of Arizona.