Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has revealed that his family lost their rented home due to the destructive wildfires in Pacific Palisades. Redick shared his emotional experience for the first time after Friday’s practice, which came just before the Lakers’ upcoming game against San Antonio was postponed. The Clippers also had their home game against Charlotte canceled, with both teams set to play at home on Monday and Wednesday.
“I haven’t felt such intense emotions in years,” Redick expressed, reflecting on the situation. The fire ravaged their home while the Lakers were away playing in Dallas, though Redick’s wife, Chelsea, and their two sons were not in the vicinity during the incident. Redick returned to Pacific Palisades the next day to witness the aftermath of the fire.
What Redick encountered was overwhelming. “I was shocked by the destruction I saw,” he recalled. “The devastation is so complete. I had to take a different route to get home and discovered that most of the village has been obliterated. This is something nobody can truly prepare for. Our house is no longer there.”
With each moment in his recollection, it was clear that Redick was grappling with the loss of not just their physical home but also the sense of community that had welcomed them since he took on the coaching role with the Lakers last summer. “The recreation center where I spent time with my sons and planned to coach them is completely destroyed, just like everything else,” he added emotionally.
Redick’s family had been in the rented house while searching for a permanent residence in Los Angeles. He reflected on what was lost, saying, “Almost two decades’ worth of memories and possessions from our life together were in that house. Certain things simply cannot be replaced. The material items may fade, but losing your home is a deep-seated emotional wound that nobody should have to face.”
In light of the tragedy, the Lakers’ scheduled home game against Charlotte was postponed, as was a match for the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings against Calgary. Meanwhile, the NFL has already shifted the Los Angeles Rams’ wild-card playoff game against Minnesota to Glendale, Arizona, which was decided well in advance of their Monday night encounter.
