LeBron speaks out on ongoing LA wildfires following Lakers vs. Spurs game postponement
LeBron James has been one of the faces of Los Angeles sports since 2018. On Saturday, he expressed his support for fellow LA residents who have been affected by the recent wildfires.
LeBron posted on X (formerly Twitter):
"I pray this nightmare ends soon!" James tweeted. "So many prayers."
LBJ's tweet came just hours after the NBA announced the postponement of the Los Angeles Lakers' home game against the San Antonio Spurs. This was the second consecutive Lakers game that had to be rescheduled due to the wildfire situation. Their Thursday matchup against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena did not push through as well.
The LA fires, which originated this past Tuesday, have led to at least 11 deaths and forced the evacuation of around 153,000 people in Los Angeles County. An estimated $8 billion worth of insured properties have been destroyed in this ongoing tragedy.
Multiple individuals within the Lakers organization were said to have lost their homes as the fires raged on. One of them is head coach JJ Redick, who spoke with reporters a day after the Hornets-Lakers game was postponed.
"Our home is gone," an emotional Redick told the media. "Everything that we owned, that was of any importance to us in almost 20 years together as a couple and 10 years of parenting was in that house." [Timestamp - 1:36]
Despite the devastating effects of the wildfires, Redick pledged to support the rebuilding of the Palisades community, as well as other individuals and families who are "down and out" because of this tragedy.
LeBron James' teammates extend financial support to Lakers staff member
Another individual within the Lakers organization who is reeling from the wildfires is Rohan Ali, the team's videographer. Ali's parents lost their home in the LA fires, prompting him to start a GoFundMe page with an $80,000 goal.
In response to Ali's call for help, Lakers big man Anthony Davis made a sizable donation — one-quarter of the GoFundMe page's goal, to be exact:
Aside from Davis' $20,000 donation, Ali's family also received financial aid from Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who chipped in $4,000.
When the Lakers eventually make their way back to the hardcourt, their determination to win will be a source of comfort for the Los Angeles community as well.