by LeBron James says the wildfires that killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes took a toll on his mental health.
His Los Angeles Lakers had lost three straight games before their home win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, and James admitted the fires had affected him personally. “I have a few dear friends who lost their homes in the Palisades,” James said. “Of course, my condolences go out to all families, not just in the Palisades, but throughout LA County and all surrounding areas because of the fire. … There were a lot of emotions. It was somehow wrong. Personally, I was gone.
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“For obvious reasons I was just completely off base, but I hope things are contained or continue to be contained. And hopefully at some point we can start to move forward and move forward, put it behind us and rebuild our city, rebuild this beautiful city.”
The fires have thrown the Lakers’ schedule into disarray, forcing the team to take a six-day break before resuming play on Monday, while the team’s coach, JJ Redick, lost his home to the fires. James said he hopes the team can provide some comfort to the city.
“I hope that we as a Lakers franchise and the players do that by getting on the floor and playing the way we played tonight… and hopefully in the next few months or whatever, years, until the city “Playing for the Lakers brings a sense of hope, pride and excitement,” James said. “Sport has always given people the opportunity to temporarily forget what they have experienced. And we are such a big part of the LA community – along with many other sports teams, but we know how important the Lakers are to the community – hopefully we can offer that to a lot of families.”
James took time after the game to give one of his bracelets to a girl sitting on the sidelines. He said he hoped such gestures would help the city as a whole.
“I think it will be something that hopefully she will never forget,” James said. “I am happy to be a part of her life now and to experience this small but so big moment. And hopefully she’ll brag about it at school.”
