La Lakers News: Head Coach JJ Redick Forced to Evacuate Family Due to Devastating Wildfire

The people of Los Angeles are reeling from the effects of the wildfire currently ravaging their city. People all over the city including LA Lakers head coach JJ Redick have had to evacuate their homes overnight. The National Hockey League also made the decision to postpone their game which was set to take place in the Rose Bowl Stadium. The NHL explained their decision by mentioning how the postponement will help keep players, staff, and fans safe from the fires.

Interestingly enough, an NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets is set to take place in the same arena tonight. The league is yet to decide whether they’ll be postponing the fixture or not. They addressed the situation saying, “We are in communication with the Lakers and Hornets and continue to closely monitor the situation to determine if any scheduling adjustments are necessary related to tomorrow night's game.”

Thousands of residents have been given mandatory orders to abandon their homes and evacuate the premises. This also includes the Pacific Palisades which is home to many athletes playing for the city of Los Angeles. JJ Redick was among those who had to evacuate and addressed the situation. He said, “I know a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family.” He further added, “Thoughts and prayers, for sure, and I hope everybody stays safe.”


Apart from Redick, Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard also had to step away from the organization. Leonard’s family is currently present in Los Angeles and he ended up missing the Clippers latest game against the Nuggets as he was busy taking care of them. That’s not all, as Golden State Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr also had to evacuate his 90-year-old mother.

Things continue to grow grim for the city of Los Angeles as the fire continues to rage wild. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed that so far over 1000 structures have been destroyed and five lives have been claimed by this tragedy. Furthermore, over 30,000 residents have had to leave their homes behind and seek shelter away from the deadly fires.

Photos shared on the internet portray that the LA skyline has turned orange as the city continues to burn down. Many have even described the city as apocalyptic. One heart-wrenching video showed elderly residents being rushed out in hospital beds and wheelchairs as fires closed in on Altadena.

ALSO READ: LA Lakers vs Charlotte Hornets game status (1/9): is the game postponed for the Los Angeles wildfire crisis?

What’s worse is that strong winds of up to 70 mph have hindered air support from sweeping in and containing the fires. However, aerial firefighting has since resumed, and has been making efforts to contain the devastating fires since Wednesday morning.