Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick is one of thousands of people who have lost their homes to the raging Los Angeles wildfires. The news of Redick’s situation came to light after the Lakers announced that they were postponing their game against the Charlotte Hornets due to the wildfires.
Redick spoke about his family’s evacuation on Tuesday, saying, “I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now. It’s where I live. My family and my wife’s family, my wife’s twin sister, they’ve evacuated. I know that a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family. From the sound of things, with the winds coming tonight, I know a lot of people are scared.”
The Lakers released a statement saying, “We’re heartbroken for Los Angeles. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this unimaginable situation. And our gratitude is with the first responders and all of you who come together when we need each other the most.”
The team’s focus is on “what matters most today” and it is unclear what they will do about their game on Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs. The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, two other professional sports teams playing in the Los Angeles area, are also being affected by the fires. The Rams may play their wild-card game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, if the fires continue to affect the Inglewood area where their home stadium is located. The Chargers limited their players’ time outside during Wednesday’s practice due to poor air quality.
The fire department has announced that one of the fires, the Eaton Fire, has been “significantly stopped” and that the other fire, the Palisades Fire, remains 0% contained. The Palisades Fire is being called one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles.
