‘I was not prepared for what I saw’: Lakers coach JJ Redick details devastation from Palisades Fire

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has confirmed his family lost its home in the raging wildfire in Pacific Palisades earlier this week.

Redick became emotional when he spoke about the fire’s impact for the first time Friday after practice with the Lakers, who are currently scheduled to return to action Saturday against San Antonio.

“I’m not sure [that] I’ve wept or wailed like that in several years,” Redick said.

Redick said the rented home burned down Tuesday while the Lakers were on the road in Dallas. Redick’s wife, Chelsea, and their two sons were safely away from the neighborhood, but Redick drove into Pacific Palisades on Wednesday to see the fire’s impact.

“I was not prepared for what I saw,” Redick said. “It’s complete devastation and destruction. I had to go a different way to the house, but I went through most of the village, and it’s all gone. I don’t think you can ever prepare yourself for something like that. Our home is gone.”

Redick got emotional at times while contemplating the fate of a neighborhood that had embraced his family since Redick became the Lakers’ head coach last summer. A recreation center where Redick spent time with his sons and was preparing to coach them in a basketball league is completely gone, along with nearly everything else.

The Redick family was renting the home in Pacific Palisades while they decided where to settle permanently in Los Angeles.

“Everything that we owned that was of any importance to us in almost 20 years together as a couple and 10 years of parenting was in that house,” Redick said. “There [are] certain things that you can’t replace, that will never be replaced. … The material stuff is whatever. My family and I were processing the self side, the individual side, of losing your home, and you don’t ever want to wish that on anybody. It’s an awful feeling to lose your home.”

Redick is back at work with the Lakers, who aren’t 100% certain they will play as scheduled on Saturday night.

The Lakers’ home game against Charlotte on Thursday was postponed, as was a home game in the same downtown arena between the NHL‘s Los Angeles Kings and Calgary on Wednesday.

While the Kings have left town on a lengthy road trip, the Lakers were slated to open a five-game homestand with their visit from the Hornets. They host San Antonio on Saturday and Monday, followed by visits from Miami on Wednesday and Brooklyn on Jan. 17.

Redick and Lakers guard Austin Reaves both said the team hopes to play because of the chance to provide a distraction and fun for an exhausted city.

“It’s been sad, because this is my fourth year here, and LA has showed me nothing but love since Day One when I got here,” Reaves said. “I was telling my people a couple of months ago that I see myself here forever after basketball, living here just because I enjoy it so much. Seeing the pictures, seeing the videos, it’s just sad. People having to leave their homes, the Palisades burning to the ground, it’s just a tragedy. It’s a sad time, but I know we’ll get through it because LA is such a great place.”

The NFL has already moved the Los Angeles Rams‘ wild-card playoff game against Minnesota to Glendale, Arizona, making the decision four full days before the Monday night contest.

The LA Clippers are also entering a homestand in Inglewood, a short walk from the Rams’ SoFi Stadium. They’re scheduled to host the Hornets on Saturday, Miami on Monday and Brooklyn on Wednesday.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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