The Los Angeles wildfires have affected thousands of Californians. Families have lost their homes, and in some cases, loved ones, as wildfires rage across the west coast.
Celebrities are not immune to the effects of the devastation. This includes NBA stars.
LeBron James, the Lakers superstar, spoke to the media for the first time since he and his family were forced to evacuate their Los Angeles home due to the raging fires.
King James and the Lakers defeated the Heat 117-108 at home on Wednesday night, snapping a three-game losing streak that occurred in the midst of the wildfires.
Here’s what James said about the matter.
LeBron James opens up about Los Angeles wildfires
James was candid about how much he was affected by the wildfires. The four-time NBA champion admitted to feeling “off” as a result of recent events in his personal life.
“I have a couple of dear friends that have lost their homes in the Palisades,” James informed me. “Obviously, my heart goes out to all of the families affected by the fire, not just in the Palisades but throughout Los Angeles County and the surrounding areas… There’s been a lot of emotion. It’s kind of been off. Personally, I’ve been off.
“I’ve just been completely off for obvious reasons, but hopefully things are or will remain contained. And hopefully, at some point, we will be able to start pushing forward, moving forward, putting it behind us, and rebuilding our city, this beautiful city.
That impact was evident in the Lakers’ loss to the Spurs on Monday. After two games were postponed due to fires, Los Angeles returned to action against Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio, but struggled, losing 126-102 and being outscored by 33 points in the second half.
Los Angeles was able to get back on track Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena, and it could be thanks to a fan.
James described an exchange with a young girl in the stands who he waved to during the first half, and he learned about her emotional reaction to his subtle gesture.
“Thank goodness that I actually looked at my phone at halftime, or I wouldn’t have even seen the reaction when I waved to her in the first half,” James told reporters after the match. “I waved at her before returning to play.
So, I believe that having that type of connection with someone, allowing them to react in that way, is what it’s all about. And I’ve always tried to be a role model and someone children can look up to.
Try to make them proud and want to come see me play, and if they can’t, hopefully some of what I do off the court will continue to inspire them.”
LeBron James speaks about his interaction with the young fan sitting courtside tonight, who became overwhelmed with emotion when he acknowledged her pic.twitter.com/CLIej3kCA2
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 16, 2025
James went on to score 15 of his 22 points in the second half, as the Lakers rallied from a 66-54 halftime deficit to defeat the Heat and return to the win column.
The face of the Los Angeles franchise expressed hope that the team’s performance against Miami will serve as a rallying cry for the city, which has been through a horrific couple of weeks.
LeBron James on the lift he hopes the Lakers can provide for the L.A. community while it recovers from the damage caused by the wildfires pic.twitter.com/JPGR2ckeg5
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 16, 2025
“I hope that by us going out on the floor and us playing the way we played tonight — not the way we played against San Antonio — but the way we played tonight and hopefully the next few months or whatever it is, years, until the city is back up, that we as a Lakers franchise and the players that are playing for the Lakers give a sense of hope and pride and excitement,” Mr. James said.
“Sports have always allowed people to temporarily forget about whatever they were going through. And, as a big part of the L.A. community — along with a lot of other sports teams — we know how important the Lakers are to the community, so hopefully we can provide that to a lot of families.”
