The NBA is responding to the wildfires raging in Southern California by postponing Saturday’s home games for the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.
San Antonio was to visit the Lakers. Charlotte was scheduled to visit the Clippers. The league did not specify whether more games, including those that the Lakers and Clippers are slated to play at home on Monday and Wednesday, would be impacted, and no makeup dates have been established.
“The NBA and the Clippers and Lakers organizations have been in communication with local officials in Los Angeles and Inglewood about the ongoing situation in the Los Angeles area and the game postponements ensure no resources will be diverted from the wildfire response efforts,” the league stated.
Some members of the Lakers and Clippers are directly coping with the destruction brought on by the wildfires. One such member is Lakers coach JJ Redick, whose family lost a great lot of personal property when their Pacific Palisades rental home caught fire on Tuesday night.
Redick remarked, “I was not prepared for what I saw,” “There is total wreckage and desolation. The majority of the village is gone, but I had to take a different route to get to the house. You can never really prepare for anything like that, in my opinion. Our house is gone.
A $1 million donation “for immediate relief” to the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, and other organizations was also announced late Friday by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. As stated by the league, the donation was made “to support those affected by this disaster” and the organization is “working with the Lakers and Clippers on ways to support longer term assistance and rebuilding efforts.”
Additionally, Thursday’s Lakers game against Charlotte was postponed; it hasn’t been rescheduled.
The Clippers will meet the Miami Heat on Monday, while the Lakers will host the Spurs once more. The Clippers are set to host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, while the Heat will travel to the Lakers.
According to the Clippers, they anticipate that the games that begin on Monday will proceed according to plan. “The health and safety of our community and our fans remains our highest priority,” the team stated.
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