Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick was at a loss for words.

He was aware that the rental home he occupied in Pacific Palisades had been consumed by the severe wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles. However, he felt the need to witness the extent of the devastation himself.

“Nothing could have prepared me for what I encountered,” Redick shared with the press on Friday. “It’s sheer devastation. I toured much of the neighborhood, and it’s all erased. You really can’t ready yourself for such a reality. Our home is just gone. We were only renting while we figured out where we wanted to settle long-term. All our belongings that meant something to us over nearly 20 years together and a decade of raising our children were inside that house.

“Some things can’t be replaced, and they will remain irreplaceable. It’s such a strange feeling. My son worked on an art project last year at St. Anne’s in Brooklyn, a charcoal drawing of a lighthouse that we framed and hung above the staircase. Things like that you can’t ever get back. You know, the memories. Chelsea and I have been together for eighteen years, and there are certain items from that house that hold significant emotional weight.”

The NBA postponed the Lakers’ game against Charlotte, originally scheduled for Thursday, and on Friday, they announced that Saturday’s game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers, along with the Charlotte Hornets versus Los Angeles Clippers game, was also postponed “due to the ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area.”

On Friday, the Lakers held a practice session, during which Redick spoke with reporters.

He mentioned that his wife, Chelsea, had been hesitant about relocating from Brooklyn to Southern California for his coaching position.

“She expressed to me, ‘I was really unsure about moving here. I was quite uncertain about you pursuing coaching. I’ve never cherished living anywhere as much as I adored Brooklyn, and I have never loved a community as deeply as the one I had there. And now, we arrive here, and the Palisades community has been incredibly supportive of us.’

“And that’s what we’re truly grappling with—it’s the loss of our community. I can see that communities are made up of people, and though we will rebuild, we want to take a lead in that effort. But all the places that brought us together—churches, schools, the library—are just gone.”

Redick also revealed his plans to assist in coaching his sons’ youth basketball team this winter, but the Palisades Recreation Center was lost in the fires.

Numerous members of the Lakers organization have also been affected by the wildfires. Redick mentioned that Dan Grigsby, the team’s chief legal counsel, lost his home, as did the parents of the team’s videographer.

“We absolutely want to do whatever we can, within the safety measures established by the city,” Redick expressed. “Our aim is to inspire hope for others, and maybe provide a distraction or an escape.”

“We discussed as a team before practice. It’s essential for everyone in this organization to take a stand and support those in need. We don’t know exactly what that will entail, but I believe that between myself, Rob Pelinka (executive vice president of basketball operations), and the Buss family—especially Jeanie—we’re ready to do whatever it takes to assist Los Angeles.”