The Los Angeles Lakers fell to a 118-97 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night but that was secondary in the minds of many in Los Angeles.
Wildfires have whipped through parts of Southern California in recent hours, burning homes and forcing widespread evacuation orders across the region. The affected area included an LA hillside known as Pacific Palisades, where the family of Lakers head coach JJ Redick lives.
“I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now,” Redick said on Tuesday.
“That’s where I live.”
“Our family, my wife’s family, my wife’s twin sister, they’ve evacuated. I know a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family. From the sound of things, with the winds coming, I know a lot of people are scared. So I just want to acknowledge that. Thoughts and prayers for sure, and hope everybody stays safe.”
The fires are thought to have begun at around 10:30am on Tuesday morning and were exacerbated by a Santa Ana windstorm that would go on to produce isolated gusts of around 100mph. Some hilly areas around LA had not seen significant rainfall in months.
The Lakers’ flight back from Dallas had been delayed to ensure that the conditions in Los Angeles would be safe to land. With smoke filling the skies around the city there remains a significant risk that flights will be forced into alternate routes on Wednesday, too.
Redick was not the only NBA coach affected by the blaze. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed that his 90-year-old mother, Ann, was also evacuated. He told reporters on Tuesday:
“I want to send my thoughts and condolences to everybody in Los Angeles dealing with the fires.”
Thousands of residents have left Pacific Palisades, while the “Eaton Fire” has spread to over 400 acres, affecting Altadena and Pasadena.
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“Everything I’m seeing and reading is just terrifying what’s happening down there,” Kerr continued.
“Just want to send thoughts to everyone who’s going through the devastation of the fire. Obviously the game is secondary to that and to many things in life. Perspective is important.”
