The Los Angeles Lakers received good news that they can now resume their season amid the California wildfires, according to an ESPN report on Sunday, January 12.
They will host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, January 13, at the Crypto.com arena in downtown Los Angeles. The NBA had previously postponed the Lakers’ last two home games against the Charlotte Hornets on January 9 and the Spurs on January 11.
In light of the catastrophic wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles, the Lakers are initiating a donation drive for their upcoming games, according to the Associated Press. The team is asking their fans to bring new and packed food and necessities to support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s relief efforts.
Their UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo will serve as a drive-thru donation center starting on Tuesday, January 14, the AP report said.
For non-food items, the priority are necessities such as deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotion, waterless shampoo, battery-pack phone chargers, socks, mittens and gloves, hand warmers, beanies and blankets.
For food items, peanut and other nut butters, protein-based snacks, crackers, peanut butter crackers, trail mix, fruit snacks, energy bars, pop-top tuna, pop-top chicken, 100% juice boxes, raisins and other dried fruit, UHT milk, individual cereal boxes, water and non-carbonated drinks are welcomed.
Some Lakers Members Affected by Wildfires
The wildfire brought nightmare to Los Angeles as it already claimed at least 16 people’s lives while 16 are also missing, and authorities said those numbers were expected to rise, according to the latest AP report.
It also destroyed thousands of homes, including the rented home of Lakers coach JJ Redick in Palisades and team videographer Rohan Ali’s parents’ home in Altadena.
“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me and my family,” Redick told reporters after their January 10 practice, per ESPN. “We’re going to be alright. There are people that, because of some political issues and some insurance issues, are not going to be alright. And we’re going to do everything we can to help anybody who is down and out because of this.”
Meanwhile, Lakers superstar Anthony Davis donated $20,000 to the GoFundMe page set up by Ali to help his parents with the cost of “food, housing, transportation, and any other inevitable costs as they rebuild everything from the ground up.” Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt also chipped in $4,000.
Redick rallied the team to give Los Angeles hope amid the catastrophe.
“We obviously want to give people hope and we want to give, I don’t want to say a distraction, maybe an escape,” Redick said. “We talked about it as a group before practice. It is our responsibility — everybody in this building — to lead on this and to help people.”
JJ Redick: ‘There’s Certain Things That You Can’t Replace’
Redick lamented the memories lost more than the material things engulfed in the fire.
“I was not prepared for what I saw,” Redick told reporters. “It’s complete devastation and destruction. I went through most of the village, and it’s all gone. And I don’t think you can ever prepare yourself for something like that. Our home is gone. And look, we were renting for the year to try to figure out where we wanted to be long term. Everything we owned that was of any importance to us almost 20 years together as a couple and 10 years of parenting was in that house.
“And there’s certain things that you can’t replace, that will never be replaced. And it’s like weird. My son did an art project last year at St. Anne’s in Brooklyn. And it was like a charcoal pencil painting of a lighthouse that we had framed above the stairs. And you can’t ever replace stuff like that. You know, memories. Eighteen years together now, Chelsea and I, certain things that were in that house that you can’t replace.”
Meanwhile, Lakers superstar LeBron James sent out a prayer on X, formerly Twitter.
“I pray this nightmare ends soon!” James posted.
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