Redick hopes Lakers can ‘give people hope’
LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick says he hopes the team’s eventual return to play can “give people hope” after seeing his Pacific Palisades home incinerated in the deadly wildfires that have ravaged the city.
The Lakers postponed a scheduled home game against Charlotte on Thursday because of the fires, which have left at least 11 people dead and destroyed around 10,000 homes and other buildings.
Redick oversaw practice on Friday for what was expected to be an emotionally charged home game against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, but that game too was postponed in a decision announced by NBA league chiefs.
The Los Angeles Clippers’ game against Charlotte set for Saturday was also postponed.
Redick is one of several members of the Lakers organization directly impacted by the fires, seeing his family’s rented property in Pacific Palisades, the ground zero of the disaster, consumed by the flames.
On Friday, Redick became emotional as he spoke to reporters about the personal impact of the disaster on his family.
“I’m not sure I’ve wept or wailed like that in several years,” said Redick, who was living in the house with his wife, Chelsea, and their two sons.
“It was not prepared for what I saw,” Redick said of visiting Pacific Palisades after returning home from the Lakers’ road game at Dallas in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
By that stage, Redick’s family had been evacuated to a hotel. The Lakers coach then paid a visit to his home early Wednesday to assess the situation.
“It was complete devastation and destruction. I went a different way to the house through the village, and it’s all gone,” Redick said. “I don’t think you can ever prepare yourself for something like that.
“We moved out here, and the Palisades community has really been so good to us. That’s the part to us that we’re really struggling with. I recognize that people make up community and we’re going to rebuild and we’re going to lead on that.
“We talked about it as a group before practice today. And it’s our responsibility and everybody in this building to lead on this and help people.”
Meanwhile, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook made NBA history on Friday night, becoming the first pair of teammates to record a triple-double in the same game multiple times in a single season.
Jokic finished with 35 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds for his NBA-leading 15th triple-double of the season in the Nuggets’ 124-105 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Westbrook had 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
They’re also the first to record a 25-point triple-double in the same regular-season game.
“Wow. That’s pretty crazy. We’re watching history, folks,” Denver coach Michael Malone said.
The pair also accomplished the feat at Utah on Dec. 30. Jokic had 36 points, 22 rebounds and 11 assists that night while Westbrook had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
