How the Sports World Has Been Impacted by the Southern California Wildfires
The tragic wildfires that have engulfed large parts of southern California have greatly impacted the sports world and prominent members of the sports community.
Since a fire first sparked in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7, more than 17,000 acres have been burned. Subsequent fires in the region have burned a total of more than 40,000 acres, leaving at least 24 people dead.
In the aftermath of the blazes, professional sports teams in the area — including the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and NHL’s Los Angeles Kings — have been forced to postpone games. The NFL’s Los Angeles Rams relocated a game altogether, moving their Wild Card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings to Glendale, Arizona.
On Monday, January 13, all 12 major Los Angeles-area professional sports teams — including the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and MLS’ Los Angeles Galaxy — pledged a donation of more than $8 million to “support victims in need, as well as those fighting the fires.
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For more on how the wildfires have impacted the world of professional sports, keep reading.
Los Angeles Rams Relocate Playoff Game to Arizona
The Los Angeles Rams were forced to relocate their Wild Card round playoff game, originally scheduled to take place at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium, to Glendale, Arizona.
In a game that was as emotional as it was cathartic, the Rams defeated the Vikings 27-9, earning a date with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL’s Divisional Round on Sunday, January 19.
The crowd was filled with Rams fans, many of whom had made the trip from Los Angeles. Kelly Stafford, the wife of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, was responsible for chartering multiple buses from L.A. to make sure diehard Rams fans could be in attendance.
"We knew we weren't just playing for us," Matthew, 36, told reporters after the game. "We were playing for people back home who needed something to watch and enjoy."
Lakers, Clippers and Kings All Reschedule Games
The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings were all forced to reschedule games during the ongoing destruction of the fires.
The Lakers’ home games scheduled for Thursday, January 9 and Saturday, January 11 against the Charlotte Hornets and San Antonio Spurs, respectively, were both postponed. Meanwhile, the Clippers home game scheduled for January 11 against the Charlotte Hornets was also postponed. Makeup dates for the games have not been announced.
The Los Angeles Kings also postponed their home game scheduled for Wednesday, January 8 against the Calgary Flames. No makeup date has been announced.
On Monday, January 13, the Lakers and Clippers both returned to their home floors — the Lakers at downtown L.A’s Crypto.com Arena and the Clippers at Inglewood’s Intuit Dome — for games against the Spurs and Heat, respectively.
"Sports really work well when the team, the organization, has a connection to the city and the fans feel a connection to the team," Lakers head coach JJ Redick said before the game, a 126-102 loss to the Spurs. "And then it just flows in some sort of eternal circle of that. The Lakers have that with the city of Los Angeles. Having played here before and lived here, I'm well aware of that relationship. And part of the reason I wanted to coach here was to participate in that."
Following a 2-1 road overtime win over the Winnipeg on Saturday, January 11, the Los Angeles Kings’ posted via X, “For LA ??.”
Lakers Head Coach JJ Redick Loses His Home
Los Angeles Lakers head coach, JJ Redick, lost his home in the fire that destroyed the Pacific Palisades.
“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,” Redick, 40. told reporters on Friday, January 10. “Our home is gone.”
Redick continued, “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. There’s certain things that you can’t replace, that will never be replaced.”
The first-year NBA coach was sharing the home with his wife, Chelsea Redick, and their two sons: Knox, 10, and Kai, 8.
Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Loses His Childhood Home
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr lost his childhood home in the Pacific Palisades, which was still the residence of his 90-year-old mother, Ann.
"My mom is in good hands, but her house is gone," Kerr, 59, told reporters on Thursday, January 9.
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Kerr added, “That’s my hometown. All my friends who are from there pretty much all lost their homes — their family homes, their childhood homes. Our high school is gone. The town looks like it's just been completely wiped out. It's surreal and devastating. Fortunately, almost everyone escaped. But it's hard to even fathom how Pacific Palisades rebuilds and how it becomes a thriving community again. It's just shocking."
Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Leaves Team
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard left the team on Wednesday, January 8 to be with his family, who owns a home in the Pacific Palisades.
"You definitely have to take care of home,” Clippers coach, Tyronn Lue, announced.
Lue added, “Totally had my support 100 percent. Going back, checking on his family and kids, making sure they're well. And he got back, and they're doing okay, so just happy and thankful for that."
Leonard missed the Clippers’ game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, a 126-103 loss, after making his season debut on Saturday, January 4 after a knee injury kept him out of action.
According to NBA insider Chris Hynes, Leonard’s girlfriend, Kishele Shipley, and the couple’s two children were forced to evacuate the home.
Per TMZ, Leonard’s home survived the fire and he returned to the Clippers, appearing in the team’s 109-98 win over the Miami Heat on Monday, January 13.