The NBA announced that they were monitoring the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night to see if it needed to be postponed due to the various wildfires across Southern California.
On Thursday morning, the league announced it has indeed decided to postpone the game:
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/RxOO2OS6lU
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 9, 2025
As of now, there is no rescheduled date for the game although they will likely figure it out at some point. Right now, the focus is rightfully on getting these fires under control. Fans who have tickets to the game have been instructed to hold onto them as they will be honored at a later date.
The wildfires began due to high winds on Tuesday evening and have only continued to grow since. The Pacific Palisades wildfire is already known to be the most destructive fire in L.A. history with thousands of people needing to evacuate and thousands of structures burning to the ground.
That fire is not yet contained, neither is the Eaton Fire in Pasadena despite the hard work of the first responders.
With all of that being the case, it is understandable that the league decided to postpone the Lakers’ game against the Hornets as it is nearly impossible for players, coaches and fans alike to focus on basketball right now.
It’s unclear which Lakers players, if any, have been impacted by these fires, but head coach JJ Redick revealed his family was among those that needed to evacuate their home.
“I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now,” Redick said before the Lakers’ 118-97 loss to the Mavericks. “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 [Tuesday night], 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.”
With the Lakers’ game against the Hornets being postponed, Redick and others can shift their focus away from basketball to make sure their families are OK during this difficult time.
Lakers legends LeBron James and Magic Johnson offer prayers
With the fires devastating thousands of homes and businesses, Lakers legends LeBron James and Magic Johnson both took to social media to offer prayers for all of the people affected as well as appreciation for the first responders that are doing everything in their power to slow the fires down.
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