Los Angeles wildfires prompt sports teams and fans to honor first responders | American football news
Three major Los Angeles sports teams paid tribute to first responders and offered comfort to fans as they returned to action in the fire-ravaged city.
The Los Angeles Rams advanced to the second round of the NFL playoffs, while the Lakers and Clippers played their NBA games on Monday.
“Sports are a lot of things and sports can certainly provide an escape and a distraction,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick, who lost the home he shared with his wife and two sons when the Palisades fire broke out last week.
“Hopefully the sport will bring some joy tonight as well,” Redick said.
More than 90,000 people remained displaced as of Monday, seven days after more flames erupted carried by the wind.
At least 24 people have died and thousands have been left homeless, with authorities warning that winds expected to pick up again on Tuesday could lead to “extreme fire behavior and life-threatening conditions”.
Two Lakers games and one Clippers game were postponed before Monday’s kickoff, and both teams dedicated the night to the community and first responders.
The Lakers were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs 126-102 at their Crypto.com Arena in downtown LA, while the Clippers beat the Miami Heat 109-98 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood a few miles south.
Meanwhile, the Rams dominated the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 in an NFL wild-card round playoff game moved to Glendale, Arizona, because of the fire.
The home stadium of the Arizona Cardinals has been transformed into Rams colors and logos. The team chartered a convoy of buses to bring fans from Los Angeles, and people showed up at SoFi Stadium before dawn to begin the six-hour journey.
Fans waved flags and signs thanking the firefighters, and Rachel Platten performed her national anthem “Fight Song” in the pregame ceremony.
A song celebrating resilience matches the “LA Strong” message sent Monday by the city’s beloved teams.
Earlier in the day, a dozen Los Angeles professional clubs pledged $8 million for fire relief and unveiled plans for three events to distribute supplies to those affected by the fires still ravaging the second-largest city in the United States.
In addition to that concrete support, quarterback Matthew Stafford said the Rams hope to provide some emotional uplift.
“We knew what we were playing for,” he said. “It is a difficult time to return [in Los Angeles]. We’re just happy we came out and played like this tonight to get the win [the fans] something to be happy about.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he hoped his team’s performance could “put a smile on some faces,” though he acknowledged that “once these games are over, it’s still back to real life.”
Veteran Los Angeles native James Harden scored 21 of his 26 points in the second half to fuel the Clippers’ comeback and embraced the “LA Strong” theme after the game.
“We’re going through tough times right now,” Harden said. “Something we’ve never seen before. So it’s very, very powerful for us to stand together … as one we can stand together and get through it.”
Spurs veteran Chris Paul, a former Clippers whose family had to evacuate their home in Los Angeles, said the uncertainty caused by the fires has also hit visiting teams hard.
“But I think we, along with probably the Lakers, were just excited to get a chance to play,” said Paul, who was Redick’s teammate when both were with the Clippers.
He and Victor Wembanyama gave jerseys to Redick’s young sons after the game.
Lakers star Anthony Davis was only sorry that the Lakers were unable to win.
“We discovered one thing during COVID [pandemic] sports kind of bring joy back to people, even if it’s temporary,” Davis said.
“We were eager to play basketball again in front of our fans – it’s a shame we couldn’t win.”
